


The Little Ones

by bcbdrums



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Babies, Baby Names, Children, Comedy, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Gen, Mild Sexual Content, Mild Smut, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parenthood, Pregnancy, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-07
Updated: 2021-01-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 30
Words: 38,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24057574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bcbdrums/pseuds/bcbdrums
Summary: Unrelated drabbles and shorts that work better in a collection.
Relationships: Dr. Drakken/Shego (Kim Possible)
Comments: 26
Kudos: 41





	1. What's in a name?

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Once again, these are unrelated (or maybe related) drabbles from the Kim Possible fandom that were too short for me to publish as one-shots.
> 
> Chapter 1 - some domestic drakgo fluff!!!

Shego cuddled closer to Drakken as they sat up in bed. Her knees were drawn up across his lap and he balanced a small book atop them with both hands. She had one arm around his back and her hand massaged his neck, while her other hand rested on her very pregnant belly.

"What about...'Valerie'?" Drakken asked. "Is it better than 'Athena'?"

Shego chuckled as she set her head on his shoulder. "I already told you, I like every girl name you've suggested."

Drakken looked mildly hurt. "A name is important, Shego. The baby will have it for their entire life! We need to make sure...it's the right one."

She chuckled again. "Okay. Well, we have more than enough great choices for girl names... What if the baby's a boy?"

Drakken grinned and flipped to the second half of the name book.

"If I have a son..." Shego felt her heart race in excitement at the giddy look on his face. It was obvious which he was hoping they would have. "His name should be something...strong. And powerful. A name that will strike fear into the hearts of everyone he meets! Just like his father!" Drakken said, raising a fist and grinning evilly.

Shego's response was just to snuggle closer to him. She grabbed his hand and set it on the swell of her abdomen and laced her fingers between his.

"Okay. How about 'Drew Jr.'?"

Drakken's lips parted in a silent gasp as he looked at her. His face began to flush as a smile came to his lips, but his eyes grew sad as he quickly looked away again.

"What's wrong?" Shego asked, shifting upward and leaning forward to see his face.

He glanced back at her and after a long moment, he sighed. "Drew Lipsky...never intimidated anyone. He was weak... Never anything more than...a failure..."

Shego pursed her lips to keep from smirking as she brought her arm back forward from behind his neck and lightly tugged under his jaw to make him face her. She shook her head slightly in disagreement.

"He's never failed me."

Drakken's lower lip started trembling as he looked at her sincere face. She brought her hand up higher to cup his cheek gently.

"If you want the _best_ name for a handsome...brilliant...and powerful man... Then I think we can stop at Drew Jr."

A tiny cry escaped Drakken's throat and tears welled up in his eyes as he stared at her in a mixture of hope, joy, and disbelief. She moved her hand back to weave her fingers into his hair just before she tilted her head up to meet his, and she softly kissed his trembling lips. His hand on her belly held hers tighter as his hot tears fell and hit her cheeks.


	2. Sleepless

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More domestic Drakgo fluff!!!
> 
> This is my 30th Drakgo fic.

A familiar sound startled Drakken from sleep. And familiar though it was, he still started in fright whenever he heard it. He always needed a few seconds to analyze it before his racing heart would calm. Not that he really could analyze it...yet.

Shego hit him with a pillow from the other side of the bed.

"Go get her!" Somehow, Shego's grumbling was just as threatening in sleep as when she was wide awake.

Drakken rubbed his pained eyes. He wanted to argue that it was her turn...because it was. But he didn't. 

He rolled out of the bed and this time, remembered to keep his eyes open as he crossed the moat. As he stumbled across the dimly lit room he wondered how long he had slept that time...and then realized it would probably be more efficient to count hours awake, since they were by far the more numerous.

He reached the bassinet and plucked the crying baby out, carefully tucking her up against his chest and shoulder and cradling her head for security. He started to pace back and forth in front of the crib.

"Do you have to stay in here?" Shego grumbled from the bed.

"I'd like to go back to sleep...as soon as she does," he answered, his tone a mixture of annoyance and pleading.

Shego didn't respond, so he continued to pace. And their tiny daughter, barely a month old, kept crying.

Several minutes passed.

"Ungh..." Shego groaned, sitting up and beginning to push her pillows against the headboard. "Come on. She's probably hungry anyway."

Drakken gratefully returned to the bed and handed the tiny baby over. And then he fell into the mattress and closed his stinging eyes. Seconds later the crying diminished to whimpers as a soft suckling sound began. And soon the whimpers disappeared entirely.

But the suckling kept Drakken right on the edge of wakefulness. It was still too new to be ignored. And despite being so tired he was in pain, he still marveled at the miracle.

With a grunt of exhaustion, he blindly reached across the mattress until his hand found Shego's thigh. He began massaging it lightly as he listened to the suckling and tried to measure his breaths to match the rhythm of the unique sound.

A few moments later, he felt Shego's fingers slowly combing through his hair as her nails lightly dragged against his scalp. He loved when she did that, and she knew it. It soothed everything in him that was crying out in pain from sleep loss.

The stinging of his eyes diminished ever so slightly as the minutes passed. He was too tired to keep massaging her leg, and finally stopped. A few minutes later he was aware of gravity moving his hand off of her leg and down to the sheets. He realized also that Shego's hand had left his hair at some point, though he wasn't sure when. The suckling sound had also stopped.

He felt a shift of weight, and he knew Shego had left the bed to return their daughter to her crib. He was still drifting in the dark behind his eyes when she returned, but he was slipping away fast.

He felt Shego lift his arm and place it across her middle as she moved to be nearer to him. There was still space between them, but he felt her warmth. He sighed long through his nose as his hand tiredly gripped at her hip once before falling across her back.

He was sinking into blessed oblivion, all grasp on reality vanishing.

And then the alarm clock sounded.

Drakken blinked painfully and stretched once before curling in on himself, his face twisting in a grimace of frustration as a small cry left his lips. The light level in the room rose to a dim but warm yellow glow as Shego pressed the appropriate panels on the headboard after turning off the alarm clock.

Drakken had pinched his eyes even more tightly shut against the pain of the noise and the light, but then he felt Shego's fingers caress his jaw and move softly behind his neck. He felt her hot breath on his face a split second before her lips lightly touched his. He couldn't help but return the gentle kiss.

Drakken opened his eyes to tiny slits.

"Good morning," she whispered, her eyes dancing in sympathetic amusement.

Drakken whimpered and closed his eyes again.

Shego continued pressing gentle kisses to his lips, some of which he returned and others he simply received.

He was surprised as suddenly the warm light in the room dimmed back to the natural darkness of the cave, broken only by the greenish glow of the artificial moat.

"Go back to sleep," Shego whispered. "I'll take her for a few hours."

The relieved sigh that left Drakken's lips just might have been offensive, he realized. But he was in too much pain to care, his aged body not ready for so few hours of sleep over so many days.

He was surprised when Shego's fingers returned to his hair, and her lips rested against his. She hummed softly as she occasionally pressed her lips to his in a kiss, but mostly she just rested against him.

"Sleep," she murmured into his mouth.

Finally, desperately, his mind slipped into unconsciousness, surrounded by the faintest happy awareness of his daughter's soft coo and the gentleness of his wife's touch.


	3. And the earth fell away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Friday I was woken up by an earthquake at 4am. Where does my brain immediately go? I remembered a stupid one-off joke in _Two and A Half Men_ from years ago. This dumb drabble is the result. Shout out if you remember that _Two and A Half Men_ episode I’m talking about!
> 
> This drabble is rated "M"! I repeat, this drabble is rated "M"! It's comedy, but with M-rated content.

Their bodies moved together in a gentle rhythm, the lovers lost to the world as they gave of themselves to each other in their timeless rhapsody.

On his back, he stared up into her eyes and she into his as she led their slow song. No words were necessary, their smiles communicating the endless depths of their love while their clasped hands were raised between them as they tried to get just that much more of each other.

As the long minutes passed a heat began building, deep at the center of their union. The gentle rhythm grew into a strident and primal dance. Her hands left his and tightly gripped his shoulders as he took a stronger leading role. Her forearms held her over his chest and his hands slid up her waist until they circled her back protectively.

Her voice, husky and low, joined the chorus of love their bodies were singing.

“Ohhhhh........ ohhh..... Ohhh... Oh! .......Oh, Dr. D..... Ohhhhh.....”

She closed her eyes and sank to his chest, laying her head aside his as her breathy cries continued. He held her closer and prepared to lose himself entirely in the building heat. But a sudden clattering noise brought him to alertness and he began to re-orient himself to their surroundings. He saw the make-up products and nail polish bottles begin toppling over on the vanity. And tilting his head back and to the side, he saw on the shelf of the headboard the source of the clattering where two spoons in bowls from the previous night’s ice cream were shaking, seemingly of their own accord.

“Shego...” he said as understanding suddenly struck. 

He glanced around them in alarm as he became conscious of the bed shaking beneath them, and not from their tumultuous passions. Shego seemed completely unaware of the danger as her voice rose in pitch and volume in between the suckling kisses she placed on his neck.

The new added variable of the dramatically vibrating bed left his mind in turmoil as her zealous writhing rapidly overshadowed the awareness of their potential peril trying to break through. Her feverish rocking and pleading pushed all thoughts of danger out of his mind as he answered her desperate overtures, and together they flew into the heavens.

Somewhere through his euphoria he heard a terrible loud cracking sound and the harsh shearing of metal. A rush of spilling water followed, and he tried to make sense of the sound even as one side of the bed sank and suddenly impacted the stone floor. He clung to her tightly, worrying for their safety even as he lost himself in the staggering ecstasy of their flight.

The foreign sounds and shaking surrounding them ceased, but he ignored it all in favor of gently running his hands up and down Shego’s back as she trembled and twitched against him. Her quick breaths were hot against his cheek where her head still lie beside his.

“It’s an earthquake,” he managed to get out, his voice tense as his body demanded he ignore his rational mind. He turned his head as he heard Shego chuckle weakly through her panting.

“Oh, the earth moved for me too,” she smirked.

“No,” he gasped, “it’s a real earthquake. Look.”

Shego lifted her head and Drakken with her, and they took in the startling evidence of the twisted door, the water from the moat spilling over the floor, and the collapsed side of the bed. There was a jagged crack and slight crevice through the middle of the floor that crossed the moat, went halfway up the wall, and disappeared under the bed. One half of the floor on the left side of the crack was lower than the rest. Drakken realized this was the reason for the bed’s collapse.

“We have to get out of here!” he said as panic started to rise. Never-mind the obvious structural damage to the room, but an aftershock could suddenly bring the ceiling down on them.

With a growl of annoyance she dismounted him and quickly began grabbing clothes. He followed suit and they found themselves backing into the corner of the room while they dressed to avoid the rapidly pooling water from the damage to the moat.

“I guess it’s finally time to say goodbye to this lair...” Drakken said sadly. “I’ll miss having our own island.”

Shego didn’t answer, but Drakken glanced at her as he heard her mumbling.

“Earthquake...” she said, and he lifted his brow.

“What was that?”

She glanced at him, and he caught her brief smirk before she turned away and schooled her face. “Here I thought you were just that good.”

Drakken had a brief flash of dismay before he realized she was joking by the shake of her shoulders and the smirk she was trying to hide.

Having finished hastily dressing they hurried toward the door, but it was damaged and wouldn’t open. Drakken gasped in alarm as beneath their feet the tremors of an aftershock began. Shego ignited her glow and blasted the door, grabbing his hand and yanking him through the second the green flames had cleared.

As they sprinted through the halls to escape the danger, the absurdity of it all overcame Drakken and he began to laugh. Shego looked back at him.

“What?”

Drakken smirked. “Maybe in our next lair we can get one of those mattresses with a vibrating massage feature.”

Shego joined him in laughter, and as they reached the main room their likewise fleeing henchmen watched the guffawing pair in confusion as together they all escaped the collapsing lair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: (And for the lols.) <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxeY5vDdSvM>


	4. The Cure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy little one-shot. Trying to get back my creativity bug.

Shego wore one of Drakken's blue t-shirts but had foregone pajama pants. She had the bedspread pulled up to her waist as she lay on her side in the massive round bed. She had played music earlier from the sound system Drakken had built into the headboard in an attempt to relax, but it ended up irritating her more than helping.

She set a hand over her stomach as it rolled and churned. The ill feeling was getting worse, and she had failed to find any activity or medication, chemical or homeopathic, that would help. She was sure the ginger only had a placebo effect, as she still had to run to the toilet with the risk of vomiting every time she tried to get out of bed.

She felt the almost imperceptible swell in her abdomen and wondered again if she was really feeling the baby growing, or if it was still too early and it was just in her mind. She could barely eat anymore, so she knew for sure any bump was definitely not her stomach digesting a meal.

Behind her she heard the door slide open, and a familiar too-quick step entered the room. She listened to the equally-familiar undoing of buttons and the tossing of faux-leather aside as Drakken removed his lab coat. And then she heard him kick off his shoes and start on his belt buckle. She frowned and lifted her eyes to the clock in the headboard. It was just short of noon.

A minute later she felt the mattress dip as Drakken crawled onto the bed and moved behind her. He gently pushed her hair away and kissed the back of her neck. Her brow rose. So _that's_ why he was coming to bed at lunch time...

She took a deep breath. "No."

He hesitated for the briefest moment, but continued kissing her neck. His hand moved around her waist and slipped under hers where it lay over her abdomen.

She took another breath and sighed long before repeating, "No." Her tone was more insistent that time and he shifted nearer to her so he could move his face over hers and make eye-contact.

"Why not...?"

"Because I feel like I'm gonna throw up even when I'm _not_ moving."

She peripherally saw his expression morph to concern and she turned her head to see him more clearly. Beneath the concern was a strong desire... She knew it well, and it hurt her to disappoint him. But she was too sick.

Drakken's brow furrowed. "You've...gotten me rather used to a routine, Shego."

Shego bit the inside of her cheek as she considered his words. She'd been almost forced to do the research and knew that libido increased in the first trimester of pregnancy. But her sex drive was insatiable. She frequently wondered if the intensity had to do with her unique biology, or if it was really just normal.

But Drakken was right; she _had_ gotten them into a routine. He'd been a bit annoyed and tired for about the first week and a half of her predatory behavior toward him, but after that and after she explained what was going on, he rapidly got on board. And she realized suddenly that that was the first morning in weeks that they hadn't made love immediately upon waking.

She glanced at the clock again. It was eleven fifty-six, and they usually woke up a little before seven o'clock. That morning she had commandeered the bathroom to throw up several times and he'd gone straight to the lab. Considering the workout she was always giving him in the mornings—not to mention the occasional afternoons or evenings—she was impressed that he'd made it till almost noon.

"Sorry..." she said, and she meant it. His behavior made perfect sense. But she was so sick.

His hand left her abdomen to run slowly down her bare thigh, and he pressed himself against her to spoon her. His arousal was unmistakable.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

Her eyes narrowed. "Yes."

He looked dismayed. He slid his hand between her thighs. "What if I just—"

Shego grabbed his hand and removed it and then turned toward him and ignited her hand. He was startled and moved away from the green glow.

"Unless you want to be cleaning barf out of your bed, you'd better get over it and get used to not having a routine anymore."

He was distinctly startled by her behavior, but he backed away with his hands slightly raised in surrender. His expression morphed rapidly from afraid to sad to frustrated. Shego looked him over in his white t-shirt and blue-and-white striped boxers. He'd clearly not expected her to say no.

She let her glow go out and sighed. "If you want, maybe I can..." She trailed off and made a particular gesture with her hand.

He shook his head. "Not the same." He spun away from her and scooted off the bed.

"What are you doing?" she called as he headed toward the bathroom.

"Cold shower," he tossed over his shoulder with an irritated expression. Her eyes narrowed again when the bathroom door closed, and she carefully rolled over to see the door more clearly as she battled the morning sickness.

"Jerk..." she muttered to herself.

He had a serious problem if he couldn't go one day without sex. But to expect her to even attempt to be intimate while she felt like death was even worse. Drakken had always had a selfish streak, but that was a new kind of low.

She wondered what she could destroy to appropriately convey her annoyance, since yelling at him wasn't really an option; it would only make her feel sicker. Just _breathing_ made the nausea worse.

She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep. It was the only place that the churning of her stomach was slightly less.

When she heard the bathroom door open awhile later, she didn't even look as Drakken silently re-dressed and left the room.

* * *

"Shego?"

Shego woke from her very-light sleep at the sound of his voice. And then her face pinched in irritation. If he wasn't back to apologize, she was going to set his coat on fire...

"Are you...going to get up today? It's past dinner time."

Shego opened her eyes and peered at the clock. So it was. She felt...perhaps slightly less nauseous? She tried rolling over to face him...and had to swallow down bile as a result.

"No," she gasped when the burn in her throat subsided, giving up trying to look at him. As her stomach continued to turn, her annoyance with him built back into anger. It was his fault she was so sick anyway. He was the one who had gotten her pregnant despite her birth control pills, with his ridiculous fertility... Why was he so virile at his age anyway?

She realized he wasn't saying anything else, and when she turned her head he was already on his way out the door. She blinked in surprise, but then settled her head back on the pillow and frowned in satisfaction. Clearly he had learned his lesson. But if he thought he was touching her when he came to bed that night...

A few minutes passed as she contemplated making him leave the bed altogether. They hadn't slept apart even once since they found out she was pregnant, even though she still technically had her own room. Half of her stuff had been moved into his, and the rest was still in hers. And if she was mad or needed space, sometimes she would elect to sleep in her room. But it had been many, many weeks since she'd done that...

The door sliding open again caught her attention, and she held her breath as she made the effort to slowly roll over. She could threaten him with kicking him out at least, if he was thinking about—

Her train of thought ended abruptly as she stared at a loaded tray of food Drakken was carrying. She leaned up on her elbow to watch as he carefully set it down on the bed.

"Here. Take what you want, and I'll put the rest of it away," he said.

She stared at the tray with wide eyes. There were two kinds of ice cream, a red-orange colored smoothie, a huge tray of saltine crackers and cheese, a steaming cup of tea, a bowl of watermelon chunks, and two small ramekins with one containing a full zest of lemon and the other bruised mint leaves.

"What's this...?" Shego asked.

"The smoothie is watermelon and pineapple... The tea is lemon ginger. The ice creams are...lemon-ginger-coconut, and watermelon-orange sorbet."

Shego painfully sat all the way up. "...Did you _make_ ice cream?"

"Well...you're feeling so much worse today, and I know you said the ginger isn't helping but...maybe you just need a little more. Oh, and the mint and lemon zest are just for...uh...is it called scent-therapy?"

"Aroma therapy..."

Shego looked up at Drakken's concerned face and then back to the tray.

"I guess...I'll have the ice cream?" she said.

He lifted the bowl of lemon ginger coconut with a raised brow, and she nodded. He passed her the bowl and spoon, and then after setting the mint and lemon zest on the headboard he picked up the tray and left the bedroom.

Shego stared at his back until he was gone, and then dipped her spoon into the ice cream and took a cautious bite. It wasn't too sweet, wasn't too tart, and wasn't too rich either. He must have altered the recipe in some way so it wouldn't be too heavy. And it was delicious... And swallowing it didn't upset her stomach.

In fact, after a few slow bites her stomach started to feel better. But her heart started to hurt as she felt a bit guilty. She'd been mad because he didn't get something she'd been offering sometimes multiple times a day... And his response to her refusal, which she'd initially thought selfish, was to pamper her.

It wasn't until she had finished the ice cream and set the bowl atop the headboard that she realized Drakken wasn't back yet. After a moment of thought she understood that the clean-up from all he had done and prepared was going to take awhile. He would probably clean the whole kitchen after making two ice creams and a smoothie... And had he even eaten anything?

She lay down on her side as her stomach turned again, though less fiercely, and waited. She wanted to thank him for all he had done, and apologize for getting upset before. The scent of lemon and mint above her head further helped calm her tortured stomach, and as she continued to wait she found herself drifting off to sleep again.

* * *

Shego started awake at the feel of the mattress sinking behind her. Her stomach rolled and she grimaced, but a feeling of peace began breaking through the sickness as Drakken's familiar weight settled behind her in the dark.

She was surprised a few moments later when she didn't feel his arms around her as was their normal, and she slowly turned over to face him.

"You're awake?" he asked softly.

"I slept on and off most of the day."

"Oh... Right."

She watched the slight furrowing of his brow as he looked at her. His lips parted as he took a breath to speak, and then he seemed to second-guess himself. The furrowing of his brow deepened and he closed his eyes.

"Good night, Shego," he said gently.

She stared at his face in the dark. He looked concerned... She rolled her eyes at herself. Had her mild threat that morning affected him so badly?

"Drakken..." she said softly. His eyes opened in cautious question. "Kiss me?"

The worry in his eyes began to fade, and when she opened her arms to him he closed the small distance between them on the bed and slowly drew her close. She nuzzled her way into a gentle kiss, and when his lips pressed back so familiarly and lovingly against hers she knew everything was fine. More-so when his hand softly rested against her abdomen.

"You're gonna owe me for these nine months..." she said against his lips as she continued to kiss him.

"All nine?" he asked. When she pulled back to look at him she saw he was half-teasing, as was she.

"Maybe less... If you keep bringing me homemade ice cream in bed."

"Done," he agreed, and kissed her.

His hand gently rubbed her stomach, and she continued kissing him softly until his responses became tired and few. She rested her hand on the side of his head and stroked his hair until his breathing evened and he began slipping into sleep. She leaned closer to his ear to whisper.

"I hope I'll feel up to getting back into a routine soon..."

She watched as the corners of his mouth turned up, and his arm settled heavily around her. Closing her eyes, she rested her face against his and hummed in happiness.


	5. Peekaboo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This baby name IS one of my headcanons. So please do not steal... Comedy-fluff maybe slightly cracky this time. Drakgo of course. (But I do have some Kim/Ron coming!)

Drakken used both hands to cover his face and held still for all of two seconds.

"Where's Abigail... Peekaboo!"

Drakken opened his hands and smiled broadly. The small girl in the crib giggled at her father's antics, almost falling over for her laughter.

The bathroom door opened, and Drakken glanced over to see Shego emerging in her bathrobe with her wet hair wrapped up in a towel atop her head. She gave him a grin as he turned back to the baby.

"Where's Abby Joy... Peekaboo!"

The baby giggled again and finally fell over from the effort. Drakken tickled her briefly before tucking her beneath her soft blanket and started rubbing her tummy slowly. It was one of the things he had noticed that would help her fall asleep.

The lights dimmed, and Drakken glanced to where Shego stood by the head of the bed. He smiled his thanks as he began softly humming the melody of a lullaby he remembered his mother singing him when he was young. A few moments later, Shego was by his side with her hands on his shoulders. She joined him in smiling down at their baby.

Drakken didn't know how much time passed as he lulled their daughter to sleep, but he felt he could have stood in that moment forever. It was only when Shego walked over to the dresser to get ready for bed that he emerged from the precious moment.

He glanced to where Shego was bent over a dresser drawer with her back to him. She was still in her robe with the towel on her head, and bent over as she was with her backside fairly presented to him he got a devious idea.

He looked back at the baby. She had drifted to sleep. He turned and started slowly tiptoeing over to Shego as silently as he possibly could.

When he was just behind her he felt his laughter begin bubbling and he quickly spoke before he gave himself away...

"Where's Shego..."

Shego whirled around at the sound of the teasing, playful voice he'd used with the baby. Drakken grabbed the front of her robe and pulled it open to reveal her bare chest.

"Peekaboo!"

"Ahh!" was the small, startled cry that escaped Shego's lips as she pulled her robe closed and Drakken skipped away, doubling over in laughter. He nearly tripped into the moat and ended up falling onto the end of the bed as a result. Shego's expression was still utterly astonished as he continued laughing and crawled up onto the bed, already in his pajamas.

He smirked to himself as he turned his back to her, still on his hands and knees. He wasn't the least bit surprised a moment later to feel the smarting of a small green blast that impacted his rear. He fell down to the mattress and laughed some more.

He turned to lay the right way up and watched as Shego dressed in a nightgown for bed and let her damp hair drip around her. Her expression was a mixture of annoyance, amusement, and incredulity. Drakken couldn't contain the chuckles that kept slipping through his lips every time she glanced at him to shake her head in disapproval.

When Shego was ready and finally approached the bed, Drakken schooled his face and settled his head on his pillow.

"Tuck me in?" he asked.

"You are an adult."

"So?"

Her hard stare slowly melted at the look on his face, but she crossed around to the other side of the bed and climbed in, ignoring his request and smirking all the while.

"Shegooo..." he whined playfully. "I'm not tucked in yet."

"When your antics wake her up, guess who's going to be the one to go get her?"

Drakken cleared his throat and pulled the blankets up around him, to match Shego. He reached back and dimmed the lights to their normal five percent illumination that they slept in and then moved closer to her. A few moments later another idea struck him, and he tensed to prevent himself from laughing as he mentally debated himself.

"What?" Shego asked warily, sensing his tension.

He leaned up on his elbow and then lifted the front of her pajama shirt to look down inside.

"Peekaboo!" he said and started snickering.

Shego slugged him in the shoulder, but he only fell back and began laughing harder.

"Dork..." Shego muttered in annoyance, but there was no fire behind the insult.

Drakken rolled over until he was on top of her and smiling down into her face.

"Mmf! Drakken!" she complained as the wind was knocked out of her. His only response was to grin at her, his shoulders still slightly shaking as he silenced himself. Shego's eyes narrowed. "Please don't tell me you had hot chocolate while I was in the shower."

He shook his head as his smile grew broader still.

"Shego, have you ever been...just so happy that you can't help it?"

Any remaining irritation faded from her expression as her arms found their way around his back.

"Yeah... I am too."

For a moment her grin matched his, but in the next his lips were on hers. He settled next to her and wrapped his arms around her as she laughed delightedly into his kiss.


	6. Change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Drakgo viewed briefly through someone else's eyes... I'm trying to get my writing bug back. Help me ppl.

Three men were being handcuffed and read their Miranda rights by police officers. One wore dockers and a button-up shirt, while the others wore the uniform of the grocery store they were being led out of. The small crowd of onlookers gawked at the criminals, but were equally enthralled looking at teen hero Kim Possible whose hand was being vigorously shaken by the large-bodied owner of the small family-owned grocery.

"Oh Kim Possible! How can I ever thank you? You have saved my store!"

"It was no big, Mr. Sanchez."

"Yeah," Ron Stoppable chimed in, "they left a paper trail so long even Rufus could see it."

"My profits embezzled by my own nephew! I am still in shock."

"It just goes to show," Ron chimed in, "you can't trust anyone. Not even your closest relatives. Not even your closest friends."

Rufus hopped onto Ron's shoulder and the pair exchanged a suspicious look.

"If there is anything I can ever do to repay you, Miss Possible?"

"You'll hear from us," Kim said and waved with a smile.

As they turned to go the crowd parted for them with quiet praises and even a little applause. But Kim's modest waving-off of their adulation was stopped when a familiar striking blue suddenly stood out in the crowd.

"Ron!" she said quietly, grabbing his arm and pointing. The blue face had turned, and a black ponytail was quickly retreating. "It's Drakken!"

The crowd further parted as the adult teens hurried after their one-time nemesis who was pushing a shopping cart and walking briskly toward the front of the store.

"What is he wearing?" Ron asked as they closed the distance between them, noticing his tan trousers and gray-green polo shirt.

They caught up to the blue man as he pushed his cart into the 'ten items or less' line at the checkout, glancing over his shoulder nervously.

"Drakken!" Kim greeted, leaning forward as she took a ready stance with Ron behind her, giving a more critical eye to the situation.

"Ah! Kim Possible!" was Drakken's nervous cry as he whirled to face her, holding up his hands in innocence.

"Funny seeing you here as we bust an embezzling ring. Did you have anything to do with this?"

Drakken bit his lip and shook his head, but then his anxious look turned into a furious frown.

"I saved the world, in case you can't recall. I defy you to find a single crime I have committed since then!"

Ron stepped forward. "He's got a point KP. Hey, where have you been anyway?"

"None of your business!" Drakken snapped. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to pay for my purchases."

He whirled back aroung to push his cart forward, and the teens leaned around him to look at the cart. The only items inside were watermelons, piled up to the top. The teens looked at each other in confusion.

"What sort of plot could involve watermelons?" Ron murmured.

"Maybe he's really not plotting..." Kim said with an expression of disbelief. "I mean...look at his clothes."

"Doesn't exactly look the super-villain type anymore..." Ron added. "And do villains pay for their groceries?"

They remained at a respectful distance and watched as Drakken paid for his watermelons, and then after fidgeting with his cart handle and giving a slightly nervous but disdainful look, he hurried out of the store.

The teens looked at each other, and then ran to the door. They stared in fascination as Drakken loaded his watermelons into the trunk of his hover-car—parked across two spaces—and then shoved the cart roughly into the cart return lane. He didn't even glance back at the store as he hopped into the vehicle and then sped off into the sky.

"It...looks like he's headed back to his old lair," Kim mused.

"Miss Possible?" The voice of Sanchez behind them caused both teens to turn. "You rushed off so quickly... Is there something else? Another accomplice to my nephew?"

"We were wondering that... But we may be wrong," Kim said.

Ron pointed up to the sky and the disappearing hover-car. "We just ran into a guy we used to fight. You might remember him from last summer. Dr. Drakken? Saved the world?"

"Oh, of course I know Dr. Drakken! He is one of my best customers!"

Kim and Ron exchanged a perplexed look.

"He is?" Ron asked.

"Yes! I have had to increase my order of watermelons for him."

Ron leaned in to whisper to Kim. "Maybe he's trying to mutate more plants?"

Kim shook her head, but before she could speak, Sanchez continued.

"They are his wife's biggest pregnancy craving."

"Wife?"

"Pregnancy?"

The teens looked at each other and blinked, and then in unison: "Shego!?"

The teens blinked at each other in awe, and then shared a look of juvenile disgust. But then gradually Kim began to smirk.

"I knew she had feelings for him!"

"But isn't he like, old enough to be her dad?" Ron asked, still grimacing along with Rufus.

Kim considered. "I guess technically... But not by much. Drakken is probably my dad's age, since they went to college together."

Ron recovered himself and looked back at Sanchez, who was eyeing the two quizzically. Kim turned in the next moment.

"Oh! Sorry Mr. Sanchez. Before Drakken saved the world...well, you know."

The grocer nodded and folded his hands in front of his large midsection. "He and his wife have shopped here for years. I needed the business. I knew of their...status...in society. But they always paid for their goods and never caused trouble, except they were usually arguing every time they came in. You could hear them from two aisles over."

"They don't argue anymore?" Ron asked.

Sanchez considered. "More quietly. And about unimportant things. And they seem...much happier. Ever since the invasion, things have changed."

Kim looked at Ron and the pair slowly nodded.

"They certainly have..." Kim agreed. A smile slowly filled her face. "Who knows... Maybe they really will reform, if they have a...a baby coming."

She swallowed uneasily. Ron looked equally as disturbed. But then he shrugged.

"Hey! That's two less villains to deal with during college."

"Good point. I guess...people really do change."

"Yeah. Now if only we could get Hana to stop leaving footprints on the ceiling..."

Kim laughed and they left the grocery hand in hand.


	7. Lesson Learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: How many times can the word 'watermelon' be used in a fic... LOL.
> 
> For [split-n-splice.](https://archiveofourown.org/users/split_n_splice/pseuds/split_n_splice)

**Lesson Learned**

Drakken lowered his head from where he was staring at the massive computer screen and rubbed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were blurry and wouldn't re-focus. He groaned and folded his arms on the desk just before dropping his face to rest on them.

How much watermelon could one person eat?

He had finally found a website that would do recurring orders of the fruit, but it was clearly a site for large wholesalers as it wouldn't let him purchase any fewer than four-dozen. And that was too many.

Just the thought of a watermelon made him sick. He couldn't bear the sight or smell anymore. When he'd woken up that morning, the familiar sound of a spoon scraping against rind had made his stomach churn. But he didn't dare tell Shego, as it seemed the green and red fruit was the only thing she wanted to eat anymore.

He had tried reasoning that it wasn't healthy, but she said that she still ate other things. He wasn't sure when, since they always took meals together. But as she was eating for two he supposed she might be having other snacks throughout the day while he was in the lab.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes again, looking back to the screen. He closed the wholesaler vendor website and went to his usual online store, ordering the six watermelons again that he had ordered less than a week before. It wasn't really any effort, but having to re-order every week was adding to the ill feeling the idea of the fruit gave him.

As he confirmed his payment information, a banner-ad across the top of the website caught his eye. He squinted at it.

It was an image of a cube-shaped watermelon, with a gold bow on top of it. His face twisted in confusion, and he wondered if the universe was mocking him somehow. It couldn't be real... But there it was, advertised on a banner with lots of words in Japanese, and then a price tag of $210 next to it.

Frowning, he opened a new browser window and searched for square watermelon. It had to be fake.

His jaw slowly slackened... It wasn't.

He read for awhile with his tired, stinging eyes about the essential mutilation of the regular watermelon to achieve the shape. And as he continued learning about the fruit that was cultivated essentially as a gimmick, a devious idea entered his mind.

He clicked back to the online retailer and clicked on the banner ad. It brought him to a Japanese website which he took his time in going through to make sure he didn't accidentally sell his identity overseas. But several minutes later, he had successfully purchased a $210 square watermelon.

* * *

"Shego," Drakken sang out, practically skipping into the lair as he cradled his package protectively.

Shego sat up from where she had been lying on the sofa and set her hands atop her second-trimester baby bump. "Hmm?" she asked, watching him curiously.

"I have a surprise for you!" he sang. He knelt in front of the couch and thrust the box he held out at arm's length for her to take.

Shego's brow twisted and she eyed the box covered in Japanese text skeptically. But Drakken could see she was curious.

"If this is another one of those stupid products for...turning the baby into a genius before it's born, or something..."

"No, nothing like that," Drakken said, shaking his head as he continued to grin.

"Well...what is it?"

Drakken held the box close and stood up again.

"Let's go to the kitchen!" he said, and skipped away.

"Kitchen?" Shego called after him.

Drakken snickered to himself, just excited that his plan had been successful to the point of acquiring the obscure fruit. Whether or not it would achieve the desired result, he would soon know. But it was nice to have a plan at least start without any glitches.

He set the box on a counter and set out a cutting board and a sharp knife out for Shego to use. She stepped into the room a moment later with her curious and slightly suspicious expression.

"Is this some weird food to induce labor or something?"

Drakken shook his head. "No. Open it."

Shego examined the box and found it could be opened without use of a knife. She pulled the appropriate tabs and when the top came off...her eyes widened.

"...What is this?"

Drakken's feet danced out of sight below the counter. "What does it look like?"

"It looks like a watermelon, but...it's square. I like eating them Dr. D., I don't want to decorate with them."

"It's a real watermelon. You can eat it."

Shego looked up from the box and gave him a weird look. "There's no such thing as square watermelon."

"Yes there is," he said, nodding toward the box. "Cut it open."

Shego furrowed her brow and picked up the box to shake the square melon out. Drakken grabbed two plates from the cupboard and some utensils. He already knew what it would taste like, based on what he had read on the Internet. But he was curious to try it too.

Shego set the surreal-looking fruit on the cutting board and turned it around slowly, tilting her head and bending over slightly as she studied it with a concentration that reminded Drakken of himself. Finally, she picked up the knife he had set out and began slicing the fruit in half. Drakken grinned and tried not to look conspicuous.

When the fruit had been sliced through and Shego separated the two halves, she frowned.

"Why is it yellow?"

"It's...part of why it's square," he lied.

Shego sliced one of the halves in half again, and then put one quarter on her plate. Drakken took the knife and just cut himself one very small segment. Shego picked up her spoon and studied the yellow and slightly twisted flesh skeptically.

"Are you sure about this?" she asked him.

"It's a delicacy in Japan."

Shego lifted her eyes to stare at him. "So are fish sperm sacs."

Drakken looked away with a disgusted grimace. "Shego, it's just a watermelon. You've hardly eaten anything else for months! I thought this would be fun."

When he looked back, her expression had softened. She gave him a tiny smile, and then scooped out a piece of the yellow melon with her spoon and studied it. Drakken picked up the slice he had cut and took a bite, hoping to encourage Shego. He smiled at her, and the remaining skepticism in her face relaxed. She put the spoonful in her mouth and began chewing...and then cringed.

She glared at him as she swallowed the bite down. "This is horrible!"

Drakken likewise swallowed the bitter bite of under-ripe fruit and tried to hide his laughter behind his hand as he pretended to be shocked. Shego was staring at him in furious suspicion and she took another bite from a different, less-yellow and pinker spot of the melon. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head as the result was the same. Drakken's shoulders shook as he watched her, covering his mouth with both hands now as he struggled to contain his laughter.

Shego's eyes grew darker as her brow rose and her jaw slowly slackened in understanding.

"You _knew_ it was bad!"

Drakken nodded briefly, unable to pretend, and then set his forehead on his hands on the table as he laughed.

"Why would you buy a bad watermelon?" Shego almost shouted at him.

Drakken looked up and gave her a pleading look through his laughter. "Because I can't look at another watermelon. Just the sight of one of these things makes me sick," he said, his face falling as he shoved his plate away with a loathsome look. "Please Shego, can't you crave something else now?"

Shego glared at him for several seconds. Then she picked up the intact half of the square melon and tossed it over Drakken's head at the sink. Drakken turned and watched it fly...and then watched as it shattered when a green blast impacted it in mid-air. Yellow, pink, and green exploded all over the kitchen and all over him. Though most covered the cabinets near the sink, where the fruit had been tossed.

Drakken wiped the sticky fruit off his face and looked down at his ruined clothing in disgust. The smell of the unripe melon was worse than the ripe ones, and he felt his stomach begin to turn.

Shego, completely unscathed, stood up and crossed to the fridge. She pulled open the door that was dripping yellow watermelon chunks and took out a plate with a half of a perfectly-ripe watermelon, and tucked it under one arm. She looked at Drakken with narrowed eyes and then smirked malevolently.

"You're right, I should be craving something else."

She proceeded to take Drakken's three jars of pickles out of the fridge and put them under her arm with the watermelon. A small, desperate cry left Drakken's lips. Shego only raised her chin at him as she frowned and turned to leave, pickles and ripe melon held before her like a prize.

Drakken watched her disappear, her dark hair swaying behind her. Then he looked back at the kitchen with its yellow watermelon pieces puddling on the floor and dripping off of the cabinets and ceiling.

His shoulders slumped and he sighed, and then went to the pantry to find a mop.


	8. Happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Drakgo slice-of-life fluff, because... Well, is there a reason _not_ to have Drakgo fluff? Thanks to GoForDrakgo for help with the story starter idea! There is a point-of-view switch halfway through.
> 
> For Leena.

Drakken took a step back from the stove as he was unable to stifle a massive yawn. He blinked a few times to focus himself as he quickly returned to the crepe batter cooking in the large pan in front of him. He grinned at the scent that was rapidly filling the small kitchen.

"Mother's secret recipe..." he sing-songed to himself as the crepe finished and he quickly slid it out onto the waiting plate. He filled the crepe with the macerated strawberries he had already prepared, and after folding the crepe topped it in a light sprinkle of powdered sugar and a generous dollop of vanilla bean whipped cream.

He pause a moment to take a long drink of his coffee, and then he added a large link of chicken apple sausage to the plate. He set the plate and Shego's latte on the waiting tray, smiling down at the heart he had made in the milk foam inside the cup.

"And the finishing touch..." he murmured happily as he took off his apron and tossed it back on the hook. His vine slid out from his t-shirt collar on command and produced a large-bloomed pink flower. He plucked it gently and placed it in the ready vase on the tray, and then carefully began the trek back to the bedroom.

A glance at the clock on the wall told him it was just before seven. It was the perfect time to wake Shego for breakfast on their special day. And it was all the more appropriate that they were currently residing in the Caribbean lair for such an occasion.

The bedroom door slid open automatically when he approached it.

"Oh Dumpling," he sang out softly as he stepped inside, "happy anniver—"

He paused and looked around the room, blinking. There was no Shego. He crossed the moat and set the tray on the bed, but when he turned toward the bathroom he paused and furrowed his brow. The door was open, and the interior beyond was dark. He stepped over and looked inside to be sure she wasn't there, and then turned back to survey the bedroom again, scratching his head in confusion.

He wondered where else she could be, and why... He carried the tray back to the kitchen as he thought back to when he had snuck out of bed in the dark hours before dawn. It suddenly occurred to him...he hadn't seen her then either.

He left the tray in the kitchen and began searching the lair, picking up a cordless phone extension as he passed through the living room and found it darkened. He had barely reached the lab before he began dialing her number.

He stood in the open lab doorway, everything within the room still and silent, making the ringing of the phone at his ear seem all the louder. After five rings, it went to her voicemail.

"Shego, I...it's about seven in the morning on Sunday and I'm just wondering where you are. Ignore this message if I've just missed seeing you in the lair somehow."

He hung up and turned back toward the kitchen... Where could she have gone? And why? And why without telling him? That last one was especially concerning, considering—

A noise far across the lair caught his attention, and he hurried in the direction of the sound. He was sure it was the sound of the beach door closing. Perhaps Shego had just been out for a walk?

He turned the corner into the kitchen at the same time Shego jogged around the opposite corner. She stopped short with a gasp, clutching a large plastic grocery bag to her chest in the process.

"Oh!" she said, noticeably startled. Drakken took in her flushed face and the thin sheen of sweat across her brow. She wasn't dressed for a morning walk, but in her green and black suit. "You're up early."

Drakken looked at her in confusion. "Where were you?"

She glanced down at the bag in her hands, and then briefly away before bringing her eyes back to his.

"Getting watermelon?" she said and offered a grin.

He recognized it instantly as a very thin excuse, and he knew that she knew that he knew that. She sighed before he could speak and set her bag on the counter and then leaned over, revealing her shortness of breath for the first time.

"What is it? Did something happen? When did you go out?" Drakken said in a rush, moving to her side and looking her over carefully.

"This was supposed to be a surprise..." she said as she caught her breath, "for our villain anniversary."

Drakken's brow rose.

"But it took a lot longer to get than I thought, and...I wanted to get back in time to wrap it before you got up."

Drakken stared at the nondescript grocery bag that held a fairly large item, his curiosity suddenly aroused.

"You remembered," he said a bit distractedly, grinning nonetheless as he stared at the bag.

Shego reached up and lightly pushed his shoulder. "How could I forget the day we started working together? It was the start of the rest of my life."

Drakken grinned at her affectionately, and then remembered the breakfast tray.

"Oh, I...made you breakfast in bed," he said, pushing the tray toward her. His smile fell slightly when he saw that the perfect foam of the latte had collapsed, though the heart was still visible.

Shego straightened up and smiled. "Thanks."

They grinned at each other happily for a moment before Drakken's eyes fell back to the bag. "Ah...can I...?"

"Go ahead," Shego said, pulling the tray toward her and then cutting into the crepe with a fork.

Drakken opened up the bag and pulled out a very large and heavy plain black cube. His eyes lit up and he almost dropped the object as he leaned over the counter.

"Shego! Is this the neon transformer for the EMP jammer?"

Shego grinned and nodded as she took a bite of the crepe.

"Mmmm!" she hummed in surprise as she chewed the bite. "Is there vanilla in the whipped cream?"

Drakken was turning the transformer over in his hands, a mixture of delight and anticipation on his face.

"Hn? Oh, yes," he said, smiling at her briefly before looking back at the heavy cube. The last component for his EMP jammer... To destroy all electronic devices, and force the world to bow to him...

"Happy villain anniversary."

Drakken looked up as Shego licked some whipped cream from her fork, leaning forward on the counter and smiling in contentment. He set the transformer down and reached across the space between them to gently squeeze her shoulder.

"Happy villain anniversary," he echoed. "I can install this later this afternoon... Oh, it would be perfect if we can take over the world today! Then we can have a double anniversary!"

Shego continued eating the breakfast he'd prepared, grinning at him all the while as he rehashed the plan. He began pacing a small line in front of the counter as he rambled about the toppling of world governments through the sudden destruction of all computers, all cellular phones, all pagers, and anything else electronic that would be caught in the wake of his massive EMP jammer. He was delighted by how Shego's eyes never left his as he talked and she ate. The way her eyes sparkled as he described their takeover entranced him to the point of distraction. He stopped pacing and his words stilled as he found all he could do was smile at her.

A sound from the monitor on the counter drew both of their attention, and they looked at each other with a new focus. Drakken cleared his throat.

"I can take her while you finish breakfast," he suggested.

"Mmm. I want to shower too. And I'm going to need a nap, I got out of here pretty early."

Drakken grinned.

* * *

Shego had dressed in comfortable sweat pants and a baggy t-shirt after her shower and was watching Drakken thoughtfully as she took her hair down from where she'd pinned it up to keep from getting wet. Drakken was pacing next to the bed, holding their infant daughter who had stopped wailing but was making sounds of discomfort even as Drakken rubbed her back.

"I think she might fall asleep again..." he said, a slightly worried look on his face. Shego couldn't help but grin. He always appeared worried at the slightest hint of unhappiness from their tiny child. If she wasn't there to constantly assure him that all was well, he would probably worry himself to a point of madness.

"That's her hungry sound," Shego informed him calmly as she crossed the moat.

"It is?" Drakken asked, craning his neck to look at the baby's face.

"Mhm. You'll learn them eventually. Let me... Hm."

Shego considered a moment and then after shrugging just pulled her t-shirt off. She was tempted to throw the shirt at Drakken as a familiar fire suddenly rose in his eyes and a growl sounded from deep in his chest.

"Don't start. She's hungry."

Drakken's eyes returned to her face, and he met her in front of the bed to pass the baby to her. Shego started to sit down, but Drakken raised a hand.

"Wait," he said, and Shego turned and watched as he piled pillows against the headboard and then sat down against them. "Come here."

He spread his legs apart and patted the mattress between them. Shego lifted a single eyebrow as she gave him a thoughtful smile, and then moved to join him on the bed. She sat carefully between his legs and then leaned her back up against his chest. She started to position the baby to feed when Drakken's hand was suddenly on her stomach and sliding upward.

Shego turned her head to give him a look of reprimand, but it died at the playful look in his eyes.

"These are working breasts," she managed to say, barely keeping a straight face as she turned her attention back to the baby.

"I can't help it," Drakken said, though he kept his hand over her stomach and slowly felt back and forth across her middle. "Your skin is like...like rose petals."

Shego bit the inside of her cheek to keep her grin from getting too broad, and then moved all of her hair over one shoulder to cover her on the side the baby wasn't eating on. She carefully adjusted her hold on the baby and settled more comfortably against Drakken. A moment later, his arms moved under hers to cradle the baby along with her.

She turned her head to glance at him again, and their eyes met in a brief moment of shared wonder before they both looked down at their daughter again.

"She has your nose," Shego said after a moment.

"I wanted her to have your nose," Drakken sighed, "but...the Lipsky genes are strong."

"Sure are," Shego grinned. "I think she'll be taller than me someday. She'll have more of your build."

"You think so?"

"Yes. Look at how strong her shoulders are."

Drakken's jaw twitched. "I can't see them under those...watermelon pajamas."

Shego smirked and spoke her next words with exaggerated sweetness. "Aren't those just the cutest?"

"You hate me don't you."

Shego cackled softly, and Drakken fell silent. A moment later she moved her fingers apart slightly to allow his to mesh in between hers where they both cradled the baby's head gently.

"Never-mind her build. She has your eyes and mouth," Drakken said softly.

"Mhm. I think...her face is shaped like both of ours. A pretty balanced mix..."

Drakken leaned his head against Shego's as he sighed softly through his nose. Their daughter's eyes had been closed, but she opened them then and looked up at them. The deep blue orbs were curious as the baby looked up at her parents, as if to ask if they were talking about her. Shego almost looked up again as she heard Drakken's breath catch, but she was too full of joy seeing their daughter's eyes look back into hers.

"She's so beautiful..." Drakken breathed. "How did we do this..."

Shego smirked. "Don't tell me you forgot. We practice enough."

She felt Drakken's silent chuckles even as one of his hands moved to her waist and he gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Move my hair?" she asked, as she felt it was time to switch the baby to the other side. Drakken lifted her hair and waited until the baby had been repositioned, and then gently lay the dark mane down over her other shoulder.

The baby's eyes closed as she began suckling again. Drakken's arms circled beneath the baby as before, and his fingers lightly brushed back the thin, soft black hairs on her head. Then he shifted and cleared his throat with a mildly annoyed sound.

"I still can't believe...you almost tricked me into giving her a name that means watermelon."

Shego laughed, her frame shaking as she leaned her head back against Drakken's shoulder. She laughed all the more after looking up at his face and seeing his concerned expression.

"No..." Shego said as her laughter calmed down, her smile broadening, "if you hadn't figured it out I would have told you before you got attached to it."

"Really?" Drakken asked.

"Of course. I don't want our daughter to resent me forever because I named her after a pregnancy craving."

The way Drakken pursed his lips made her chuckle again, and after a moment Drakken shook his head and began snickering. He set his head against hers as they laughed together, and after a long minute Drakken moved his hand to her middle to give her another squeeze.

Shego grinned at him and then looked back to the baby. Her eyes were still closed and her suckling had grown less intentional.

"Is she asleep?" Drakken asked.

"On her way," Shego said, settling against Drakken's chest more comfortably.

He turned and placed a long, soft kiss high on her cheek, and then rested his head against hers. Shego closed her eyes and hummed in happiness.

"Happy villain anniversary," she said softly.

"Happy...beginning of forever," he replied.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I AM SO SORRY. This is not happy fluff, but a mini-angst. It originally ended halfway through but I was persuaded (see: bullied) into fixing it.
> 
> So. Enjoy the brief detour from all the happyfic.

Drakken stood on the rooftop, suitcase in hand as he looked out over the ocean. His entire body ached, even to his bones, with the heartsickness he felt.

_'It's the right decision... It's the only decision. You can't do anything else.'_

His brow knitted with the thought and he nodded crisply to himself. It didn't make the pain any less though.

The door opened behind him, and as he heard the familiar step a fresh wave of pain rushed over him.

"Hey Dr. D., what are you doing up here?"

He turned and took in Shego's typical, cheerful smirk and her sassy posture as she paused a few feet away from him, one hand on her hip.

Her eyes narrowed.

"What's with the suitcase?"

Drakken stared at her as his breaths came faster against his will. He glanced over at the table where they had once shared dinner while Shego had been under the influence of the moodulator. If only he had known then...

"Hellooo, Earth to Dr. D.?"

He set the suitcase down next to the table and walked toward her in determination.

_'Just once... Just to know...'_

He grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her soundly. For that moment...the greatest peace and happiness flooded his senses. But his mind was still in control, and he let her go after only a moment and stepped quickly to the table and sat down. He wondered why she hadn't blasted him, and he looked up.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at him, but her expression was unreadable. He looked down again before he lost his nerve and lifted his hands defensively.

"Please...Shego. Hear me out before you blast me, or...or mock me. Then when I'm finished, you can do...whatever you want."

He hung his hand and folded his hands in front of him as he began reciting his prepared speech.

"I've...I've fallen in love with you. I tried not to! I tried...so hard... But I couldn't help it. You're so...so cunning, and intelligent, and quick witted, and strong... And beautiful." He looked up at her to see her expression had calmed from her initial shock from the kiss, and now she only stared at him blankly. "I think I fell in love with you...the moment I met you. And don't worry! I'm not telling you this to...ask you out, or anything. I know you don't love me. I'm not delusional... I just...wanted to explain."

He stood and picked up the suitcase in his shaking hand.

"You can have the lair, um...a-all of the lairs. I'm leaving."

He looked up to see Shego had brought a hand up to cover her mouth, and the second joined it as he looked at her. A brief, stifled snort came from behind her hands.

Drakken's jaw slackened. He hadn't realized he was holding out hope that she might feel the same until that moment. He hung his head in shame and ran past her, tears filling his eyes as his heart finally broke.

He ran down the stairs as fast as he could go, blinded by the dark and by his tears.

"Drakken!"

He ran faster at the sound of her voice. His heart pounded even as it felt close to bursting from pain. He couldn't take the sound of her voice. He couldn't...

"Drakken! Wait! Stop! You said I could do whatever I want when you were finished!" she called in protest.

His feet slowed to a stop. His shoulders rose in time with the heaving breaths of his chest as he stood halfway between the kitchen and the living room. His grip tightened on the handle of the suitcase such that his knuckles almost turned white through his blue skin.

She was right. He had said that.

He listened to her step echoing on the stone until she moved to stand in front of him. One of her hands was back to covering her mouth, and the second joined it a moment later. He could see by her eyes that she was hiding a grin.

He held his breath even as his throat constricted. He hoped he could keep his tears from falling until he was gone from her presence.

But...if she was going to mock him, why was she hiding her face?

One of her hands moved then and rose hesitantly to hover over his shoulder. He glanced at it nervously and then back to her mouth. The corner of her lips that was visible revealed them to be swollen. From...crying? There were tears in her eyes. A stifled snort came from behind her hand, and then both of her hands were on his shoulders.

"What took you so long?" she choked out.

Drakken gasped. Shego's lips parted and she stood on her toes and moved forward until she was a breath away from his face. He saw the apprehension in her eyes.

"Oh... Shego."

They moved at the same time. And the suitcase dropped from his hand, hitting the floor with a _thud_ before falling onto its side.


	10. Perfect

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The watermelon saga continues. Romantic fluff!!!
> 
> Speed-written and unedited; please forgive any mistakes. I'll fix them later.

Drakken was still patting his face dry after shaving when he emerged from the bathroom. A sound somewhere between a whine and a growl brought his eyes immediately to the bed where Shego sat up leaning against the headboard. Her head was tilted to the side as she brushed her long hair—or at least, attempted to.

Her brush had clearly hit a tangle and her teeth were bared as she adjusted the position of her brush and tried again. The result was the same.

Drakken opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Shego's hairbrush became engulfed in green flames and was then thrown powerfully against the red, stone wall. It bounced off and fell into the moat, where steam rose in a hiss as the flames were doused.

Drakken pursed his lips. "Was that _my_ brush?" he asked, his tone soft and slightly injured.

Shego's own lips were pursed, but not in anger when he looked to her. She nodded to the affirmative, but then she brought her hands to her face in a way that Drakken was sadly seeing more and more often as she tried to hide her tears. He hurried to her side.

"Shego?"

"I... I don't like being pregnant," she said, her fingers curling into fists on her cheeks so he could see her red-rimmed eyes.

Drakken bit his cheek and frowned. He knew she'd wanted to say _'hate'_.

"What's wrong?"

"What do you mean, what's wrong?" Shego said, her fists pressing into the mattress so she could lean forward slightly as she glared at him. "I can't even brush my hair!"

Drakken looked to where her raven locks, still damp from her shower the night before, were draped over her almost nine-month baby bump. He thought she looked radiant. She of course, had other words for it.

The tears on her face and the steaming evidence of his ruined hairbrush in the moat directed his course of action. He knelt at her side and wrapped his arms around her. She gripped one of his arms tightly with her hands and cried into his shoulder. He let her go on for several minutes while he kissed her head and bit down on all of the platitudes he wanted to say to reassure her that it would all be worth it; he knew she didn't want to hear them.

When her cries stilled and her grip became less desperate, he slowly released her.

"Would you like some watermelon?" he asked, leaning back just enough to look at her.

She pursed her lips in defiance, but then gave in and nodded.

"Okay. I'll be right back."

Drakken left Shego sitting on the bed, her pajamas and the bed sheets still twisted and making her that much more uncomfortable. She tossed the sheets back and went about trying to straighten her pajama pants—a task made unusually difficult due to the fact that just sitting up on her own was now a challenge. Her abdominal muscles weren't at her command the way they had always been. And her back hurt immensely from the effort to compensate.

By the time she'd gotten her clothing mostly straightened out, Drakken had returned with a dish of watermelon. He held it out for her to take, and once she had he stepped away to the vanity. Shego took stock of herself again, barely sitting upright with her legs spread and knees bent to help give her some balance, pajamas a bit twisted and her hair a slightly-damp rat's nest over one shoulder.

She was a mess.

She felt tears coming to her eyes again when suddenly, Drakken appeared next to her holding up her hair brush.

"I can brush your hair while you eat," he offered softly.

Shego bit the inside of her cheek to keep her tears at bay as she nodded. She felt the slight dip of the mattress as Drakken attempted to crawl behind her. With effort she scooted forward to give him more space, and after a few seconds his pajama clad bent knees appeared on either side of her hips.

She felt the warm, familiar fingers at the back of her neck as Drakken parted her hair, attempting to take a small section of it unlike the way she had attacked all of it at once in her frustration. She held up the bowl of watermelon and stabbed one of the chunks with her fork and quickly brought it to her lips. The fruit was fresh and sweet.

Drakken finally got about two inches worth of hair free and draped it down over his knee. Shego watched as he started down at the ends as she'd taught him, slowly pulling the brush through to mind the tangles. She ate another bite of watermelon, fascinated by how different it felt just to have different hands pulling at her tresses. It was almost as if her hair suddenly had feeling itself, and Drakken's touch was gentle and soothing.

She couldn't help the relaxed sigh that came through her nose as he set the brush down and his fingers methodically worked on one of the tangles.

"You were never this patient with any of your inventions," she commented quietly, eating another bite.

Drakken didn't answer, but somehow, she knew he was smirking behind her.

 _"You're more important,"_ was what he wanted to say, she knew. And she knew because he had said it before, so many times. And she always teased him for it, so he had stopped and taken to just smiling instead. A smile bloomed on her own face.

"If you had been this patient before, we could have taken over the world in year one," she taunted him before stabbing two watermelon chunks with her fork and placing them in her mouth.

A feeling of light slowly overcame her. She knew he was smiling as much as she was. His hands freed the tangle he'd been working on, and then he brought his hands back to her neck and his fingers felt along her scalp until he had parted all of her hair in the middle. As soon as the tresses were spread over her shoulders, she leaned back against his chest.

A barely perceptible grunt left his throat as he took on her weight, but she turned her head and kissed his jaw before laying her cheek on his shoulder and pressing her face into his neck. He continued brushing her hair.

"Maybe if I hadn't had a lippy side-kick distracting me, I would have had more patience," Drakken finally answered. His voice was soft and held only mirth.

Shego chuckled and relaxed against him. She pushed the bowl of watermelon aside and rested her forearms over her swollen belly, choosing to just enjoy the gentle feel of his hands in her hair and the strength of his chest at her back.

Minutes passed, their breathing and the working of the hairbrush the only sounds in the room.

"Maybe..." Shego finally said with a contented sigh, "everything is perfect."

She tilted her head back again and watched Drakken purse his lips to try to keep his smile from bursting forth as broadly as she knew he wanted it to.

"...Everything?" he finally asked.

Shego moved her forearms and palms over her belly, tugging her shirt down a bit self-consciously as she did so. She hated being pregnant. But she knew it would all be worth it in the end. For the rest of their lives, it would be worth it.

"Yes," she said, pressing her face into his neck again.

"Mm, lean forward," Drakken said. Shego braced herself with her hands on the mattress and obliged. Drakken brought the parting of her hair back together and brought the brush up to her roots, slowly pulling through the length of her tresses. He had untangled her hair much faster than she ever had. She was impressed.

"Your hair is so soft..." he murmured, almost awed.

Shego closed her eyes and sighed, relishing in the feel of his fingers pulling through her hair after the brush. Finally, she felt him set the brush down and gently pull her hair all over one of her shoulders so the ends wouldn't get tangled due to how they sat.

Shego turned and with a hand on his cheek, gently drew his face to hers where their lips met in a soft kiss. Drakken slowly moved out from behind her and helped her lay down, pulling a pillow under her head before he lay down on his side next to her. She laced her fingers behind his head and gently pulled him down into another warm, gentle kiss. The backs of his fingers stroked the hair next to her face as his lips caressed hers, slow and deliberate in their touch.

One of Shego's hands fell back to the bed as she sighed in delight, while her other arm linked around Drakken's neck to keep him close.

"Mmmh..." Drakken hummed against her mouth, the sound akin to when he tasted a decadent dessert. But his kiss remained tender and chaste.

Shego couldn't help the breathless, delighted laugh that escaped her lips.

"Oh... Drakken..."


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here, have a silly little nothing!

Drakken heard an agonizingly familiar scraping sound as he approached the kitchen—like Styrofoam being carved apart underwater.

He took a breath and lifted his eyes skyward as if in prayer, though his mind was completely blank from that moment until he rounded the corner into the kitchen, where he stopped short.

Atop the counter were two whole watermelons, and a third cut in half. One half had already been completely eaten and only the moist rind remained. Shego stood before the counter making quick work of the other half. He watched his pregnant wife dig a large spoon into the porous flesh of the melon and then bring the large red bite up to her lips. As she chewed she began digging her spoon back in for another bite.

As if she could detect his presence, she suddenly looked up and paused briefly in her chewing as her eyes met his. Drakken watched her push the bite of melon into her cheek so she could talk.

"What?" she asked with a raised brow before continuing her chewing and bringing the next bite to her lips before even finishing the former.

Drakken sighed, shook his head, and left the kitchen.


	12. Only Child

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More stupidity. Because my brain said so.

Drakken grinned as he walked leisurely through the vast grassy field that went as far as the eye could see in every direction. He closed his eyes to enjoy the sunshine that beamed around him, warming his face and his hair and every part of him. He sighed in contentment. He didn't have a care in the world.

A low rumbling sound caused him to open his eyes. Suddenly, all around him, green striped orbs began growing up out of the grass at an alarming rate.

Drakken gasped. "No... No!" he cried. As the orbs increased in size the field that surrounded him was overcome with the green vines on which the dreaded things grew, and the warm sunny sky suddenly turned a very dark reddish-pink. The orbs had formed a ring around him, attempting to block his escape.

"No!" Drakken cried again, gathering his courage and running out of the ring of what had become dozens of green-striped terrors.

He had no destination. There wasn't one. The field went on in every direction, ending only at the pink horizon. But he didn't dare stop, for the rumbling sound continued as the orbs continued to sprout around him, growing so fast that in seconds they had gone from basketball-sized to wheelbarrow-sized. Some remained round while others took an oblong shape, and their growth never stopped.

Drakken increased his pace as he gasped for breath, but the field around him seemed to be closing in. All he could see was the wall of pink as the menacing orbs continued expanding at alarming rates along his path. The vines and leaves began to take on a reddish hue, and then a rumbling even louder than before forced him to glance back over his shoulder.

A feral shriek left his lips as the greatest terror he had ever faced loomed behind him, even while he was threatened on all sides by the horror of the growing fruit. A massive watermelon, larger than a two-story house had rolled up onto its oblong end, blocking out the sun for a moment as it stood still. And then it began to fall toward him.

"Nooooo!" he cried as he ran ever faster, his breaths becoming difficult as the sickly smell of the fruit permeated the air. The rumble of the melon rolling behind him continued and he didn't dare look back, even as the path ahead was becoming blocked by melons the sizes of cars, horses, and small trees.

Nearly everything around him was red now, and suddenly he felt a slick, squishy feeling beneath his feet. He spared a glance down to find the ground covered in the flowing red juices of watermelon, chunks of red drifting in the liquid like dry leaves in a stream. The black seeds buried in the flesh looked like poison as they peeked up at him.

"No! No! Help! Help me!" he cried as the watermelons ahead grew so great that they cut off his escape. He whirled around to see the giant melon gaining, sure to squash him when it reached him.

In a panic he flung out his vines, pressing them powerfully against the fruit that were closing in on him. But all he succeeded in doing was trapping himself further as his vines became tangled with the formerly green vines that bore the menacing fruit. The rinds pressed against him suddenly split open, and soon he was surrounded by the sticky red flesh.

"No! Ngh, _no!_ "

The giant melon was rolling faster, accelerating toward him. It was still growing and was now the size of a skyscraper as it closed in to end him. Faster, faster, and faster it came, shaking the ground and splashing his coat with the juices that had begun to rise like a flood around him.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment as the colossal watermelon blocked out the sun, looming over him as if in mockery before it finally fell down with a great speed in what would be the final blow.

"No! No! Shegooo!"

* * *

Drakken sat up with a start, not registering until a few moments later that the scream that had woken him had been his own.

He felt Shego's hand on his shoulder first and sensed her warm presence just behind him, and a moment later he felt his vines begin curling around him like a protective cocoon. He drew his knees up to his chest and held them tightly as he fought against the urge to cry.

"What is it?" Shego asked softly, her hand gently rubbing his shoulder.

Drakken shook his head once with a jerk as he tried to catch his breath, peering around at the stone walls and the moat to try to banish the horrible visions and sensations from his dream. The vines surrounding him weren't as comforting as Shego's hand on his shoulder and he tried to will them back into dormancy until called upon.

Behind him, he heard Shego sigh.

"Was it the Area 51 nightmare again?" she asked.

As soon as the vines had released him enough he glanced back at her over his shoulder, surveying her from her baby bump up to her exhausted eyes and her bed-messed hair. He felt bad for waking her.

"...Similar to your experience there, actually," he finally answered, his voice a bit thick.

"You dreamt of being sat on by your giant dog?"

"No. This time it was..."

Shego stared at him. "What?"

Drakken frowned. He couldn't say it. Her craving had already become far too great a point of contention between them. In fact, it was the thing they argued about the most.

Drakken shook his head and faced forward again, setting his chin on his knees.

"Nothing..."

A pause.

"Drakken."

He sighed. He also knew he couldn't win many arguments with her. And now he just wanted to get back to sleep...

"...Watermelon."

Shego's hand left his shoulder. "What?"

Drakken unfolded his tense posture until he sat cross-legged, leaning forward and gesticulating wildly as he told her the terrifying tale. He could see it with his waking eyes—the red sky, the melons closing in around him, the certainty of death by fruit. The miasma they had all created, blinding and choking him until all he could see and breathe was...watermelon.

He paused in his heart-pounding description to take a breath, and—

The ever so soft sound of chewing reached his ears.

Drakken's eyes widened. He whirled around just as Shego's hands flew to her lap from right behind her hip. She gave him a tense shrug and nodded at him to show she'd been listening.

Drakken's jaw had fallen open. It worked silently for a long moment until he remembered how to use his voice.

"Shego... Are you...are you eating...watermelon?"

He watched her swallow with painful slowness, and then tersely, "No."

Drakken frowned in disgust and lunged across her lap at the same time she reached behind her hip. Their hands both hit the concealed dish of watermelon that he remembered preparing for her before bed and it clattered loudly to the floor as a result of their scrambling, spilling its red contents.

He didn't even wait to see Shego's scowl or hear her words of protest.

"RRAAAAAAAAAAGHHHHHH!" he screamed, rising to his knees with his hands raised in fists over his head until all the air in his lungs had been expelled. He fell face down on the mattress and closed his eyes to the welcome darkness as he tried to catch his breath.

Blessed silence enveloped him, broken only by his own breaths that became hot as he exhaled against the bedspread. But then several seconds later the sound of metal on porcelain met his ears.

He rolled over and saw Shego standing with the empty watermelon bowl and fork in hand, a tiny frown on her face.

"What... Where are you going?"

"To get more watermelon," she answered blandly. "You spilled mine."

Drakken watched as she padded out of the room, the automatic door sliding closed behind her. He stared at the inanimate metal for a moment before letting his face fall to the blankets again. He took a deep breath through the fabric and sighed, visions of red, green, and black returning to his mind. He scowled...and then groaned in agony.

"This baby..." he grumbled to himself, "is going to be an only child."


	13. The Ban

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I hadn't planned to write/publish this one for a long time, but my hand has been forced by the following chapter (coming today!) which requires that you've read this one first. Ah well. I'm sure my chronology will fall out of sync again, but for this one instance, it's gonna be good!
> 
> Have a hint of mystery, fluff, and humor.

**The Ban**

"Did you pack her diaper cream?"

"Yes, Mother," Drakken answered.

"What about shampoo?" Mrs. Lipsky asked, turning back to face her son.

"Yes, Mother," Drakken replied with less patience, gently pressing on his mother's shoulders to keep her walking.

"Infant nail clippers?"

" _Yes_ , Mother," Drakken said through a forced smile. "We probably packed too much. Now run along, I don't like her sitting alone in the car seat."

Drakken followed his mother out to her car outside their current residence, where he had buckled his daughter into the car seat less than a minute prior. He had been dismayed when turning to hug his mother goodbye to find she'd returned to the house to 'make sure everything was packed.'

"Drew, what about—"

"Mother! Please, I would like to get back to Shego. We've done this before."

"Last time you didn't pack enough diapers," his mother accused.

"Last time, Abby was younger, and that's why we keep a supply of diapers at your house now," Drakken said through a forced smile again, ushering his mother into the car.

"Drew, if I get all the way home and something is missing—"

"It's only three days!" he cried.

"Drew—"

Drakken closed the door on his mother's words to her red-faced affront, but he barely took the time to wave in apology before turning and hurrying back to the house. He quickly took the familiar turns to their bedroom, where he paused to take a breath and carefully opened the door.

"Shego?" he asked, peering into the darkened room.

Shego lifted her head and peered at him from where she lay curled on the bed.

"Is she gone?"

"Yes," he answered quietly, coming into the room. He stepped around the bed as Shego lay her head down again, her eyes falling half-closed.

"How was Abby?"

"She was still asleep when I buckled her into the car seat."

Shego hummed in response. Drakken sat at the edge of the bed and gently rubbed her calf, watching her tense expression worriedly.

"Did you pack the first aid kit?" Shego asked suddenly.

Drakken couldn't help but chuckle. "You're as bad as Mother."

Shego's eyes were suddenly open and flashing with accusation in his direction.

"Ah, ah, I mean...uhm...sorry," he quickly settled on, moving closer and rubbing her hip.

She rolled her eyes and sneered at him before she winced in pain, curling up a bit tighter. Drakken watched her for a moment as she let go the remark and closed her eyes, focusing on measuring her breaths.

"You're...not feeling any better?" Drakken asked through a sigh.

"No."

He sighed again. "Well...your appointment is in the morning. Do you feel like eating today?"

Shego opened her eyes again and shook her head against the pillow. "No... I don't understand it. The last time I felt this sick was when I was—"

She stopped and her eyes widened. Drakken's mirrored hers as understanding struck, and his jaw slackened as she pushed herself upright, their gazes locked.

"Do you think...?" Drakken breathed.

In unison, elated smiles filled their faces, and they grabbed each other in a tight hug. Drakken felt Shego's chest heaving as her breaths quickened with excitement. He knew his were a match to hers. He kissed her soundly before pulling back with a small laugh of delight as their eyes met again.

"I still have a couple of pregnancy tests," Shego said, her voice a bit thin as tears started filling her eyes.

Drakken laughed again as he stared happily into her eyes, rubbing her back all the while. And then, something occurred to him.

Shego's face fell into alarm. "What? What's wrong?"

Drakken took a deep breath.

"Drakken, what?" she said anxiously.

He looked at her seriously.

"Shego... No watermelon!"


	14. Pancakes//Surprised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Far future Drakgo fluff inspired by a random comment by [split-n-splice](https://archiveofourown.org/users/split_n_splice/pseuds/split_n_splice), and by [Gothicthundra](https://www.fanfiction.net/u/466264/Gothicthundra)'s 13th chapter of "[Lipsky Family Shorts](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13593887/13/Lipsky-Family-Shorts-and-Other-Tiny-Tales)."
> 
> You finally get to see a smidgen of my future headcanon. Enjoy!

**Pancakes//Surprised**

Shego wasn't surprised by much anymore, given the way her life had changed.

She wasn't surprised to wake up alone, since, at nine months pregnant she tended to sleep in, and her poor sweet husband still barely slept for six hours a night despite years of her training him.

She wasn't surprised to hear sounds of voices and utensils coming from the kitchen—and she was grateful their bedroom was far from it—as their daughter was an early riser like her husband. She also wasn't surprised that her husband had been making a point of waking before their young daughter for the last several months, to make sure she didn't come bounding into the bedroom and 'disrupt her beauty rest' as her husband put it.

More like, avoid making the pregnant woman grumpy, who might then take it out on the blue man with glowing green fury. It was a self-serving motive. Or, that's what she told herself on her bad days. She knew of course, his motives were pure.

When she arrived at the kitchen, she wasn't surprised to see her husband clad in an apron, and the shiny black hair of their three-year-old daughter just visible above the top of the counter. A wooden spoon was being waved in the air by a tiny hand that came from somewhere below the counter, near the hair.

"Can I stir?" the small voice said.

Drakken smiled a bright greeting at Shego as she silently entered the room, and then he reached down and hefted their daughter up to rest on his hip as she waved the spoon without coordination toward the large, metal mixing bowl. Shego watched Drakken try to hide the wince on his face from the effort, but he could no more hide that from her than he could the gray in his hair. She was grateful they'd had kids right away, so that Drakken could enjoy the years when the children would have boundless energy before nature forced him to slow down.

The wooden spoon held by the tiny fist descended into the bowl, and it hit the side with a soft metal _thud_ , doing so more than it actually seemed to stir. After a small drop of batter was flung out of the bowl and hit Drakken's cheek, his spoon joined the process.

"I want to stir... Mama!" The excited grin on her daughter's face made Shego's own grow. "We're making pancakes!"

"I see that. Is Daddy letting you stir, AJ?"

Drakken gave her a look, and Shego only gave him a knowing smirk. He hated the nickname that she'd given their daughter, and the conversation about it was still repeated many, many times.

_"We need to get her used to it."_

_"It's a boy's name!"_

_"And it's what everyone is going to call her in school, so she may as well learn to like it from us."_

_"They won't call her that!"_

_"Do you not remember being a kid?"_

That was where it always stopped. But it didn't prevent Drakken from bringing it up again almost every day. But he never did so in front of their daughter, so Shego knew she could get away with it for awhile.

"Daddy, why doesn't Mama cook?" Abby asked, peering up at her father.

"Yeah Daddy," Shego echoed, "why don't I cook?"

Drakken gave her a look, and Shego's smirk grew. Neither expression lasted as they kept eye contact throughout Drakken's response.

"Mama does cook sometimes," he stated simply, continuing to stir the pancake batter which their daughter had abandoned as she stared at her father's chin.

As long as it had taken them to get used to calling one another by their real names, which still sometimes felt out of place, calling one another by their parental appellations had been very easy. And it usually brought an extra joy that they shared through a look, as they were now.

Being parents, especially as difficult a journey as it had been to arrive there, meant everything to them.

"Grandma says that Mama can't cook."

Shego's brow rose as Drakken startled and looked down at their daughter in shock. He cast a wary glance at his wife and winced as he saw that Shego's jaw was clamped shut.

"When did she say that?" Drakken asked cautiously.

"When you were on your trip. She th-..th-..." the girl stuttered slightly while thinking of the word, "th-threw away Mama's cookies. And my lunches."

Shego's teeth were bared as she glared at Drakken, who kept casting fearful glances in her direction as he quickly set their daughter back on the floor.

"Down you go, Abby Joy," he said a bit shakily. "Would you like to set the table while I cook the pancakes? Mama can help you get the plates."

"Yes!" the toddler said brightly.

Shego slowly rose, a hand over her belly as she tried to quell the swirling anger and heat rising within her. She'd worked really hard on the food for Abby while she and Drakken had taken a weekend trip for some alone time.

As she got the plates from the cupboard she noticed another pan on the stove with something dark reducing, like a caramel. She sniffed the air and thought she recognized the scent, but she wasn't sure.

"Be careful, AJ," she said, handing the three plates to her daughter who was beaming with pride for being trusted with the task.

Shego sidled up to Drakken.

"I had no idea!" he whispered anxiously, giving her an apologetic glance as he flipped a pancake.

"After this kid comes out I'll find a way to get her back," she muttered in reply.

"Shego!" he whined quietly, his eyes pleading.

Just then, a shatter.

"Uh oh."

Shego and Drakken whirled to see that the top plate on the stack of three had slid to the tiled floor and broken into several pieces at their daughter's feet.

"Don't move!" they both cried in alarm. They looked at each other as Abby's face began to redden and her eyes crinkled with the onset of tears.

"I'll—"

"No," Drakken interrupted, "you finish here. I don't want you trying to get on the floor."

Drakken pushed the spatula into Shego's hands, and she stood dumbstruck for a moment and watched as her husband crossed the kitchen in two large steps, put the remaining two plates on the table, and then scooped their wailing daughter up into his arms.

Shego listened to his soft murmurings that they weren't mad and that it was just an accident, cradling their daughter close to his chest as her tears fell. It was only when Shego smelled burning that she spun around and saw that the pancake on the griddle was smoking. She bit back a curse and lifted the entire pan up to slide the ruined pancake onto the short stack Drakken had already cooked. She could eat that one...

While Drakken dealt with the broken plate and comforted Abby, Shego focused on the task she'd been given as she understood it. Butter the pan...ladle the batter...wait for bubbles...flip. And then wait again and hope she guessed right. Pancakes were easy, Drakken had told her a few years back when he'd taught her. She couldn't mess up pancakes...right?

The burned one was still making her nervous, but the others were going well so far. Her baby bump made things a bit awkward, and she stayed a step back from the stove just in case.

A soft bump against her leg startled her, and she looked down into her daughter's tear-bright eyes.

"Mama needs to concentrate, Sweetie..." she said gently, looking back at the pan as her daughter hugged her leg.

"Daddy said to stay with you while he cleans up the broken plate."

"Okay," Shego said. She peered down at the dark hair again and the face pressing against her stretch pants. "You did so well helping Daddy with the pancake batter. They're going to taste great!"

Abby looked up with a shy smile, and Shego grinned confidently at her. Their daughter was already showing a mixture of traits from both of them in her personality, with her matter-of-fact way of talking but her shyness in approaching unknown things. It didn't feel like she'd been theirs for three years, as some days it felt like it had been forever and other days like they were brand new parents. But it was always a joy.

Shego reached down and ruffled the girl's hair. "My Abby Joy."

Abby giggled, and then turned as Drakken spoke.

"All done!"

Abby ran over to hug her father around the knees, and then she scampered away to parts unknown. Her rapidly shifting attention and focus was another trait of Drakken's. Also very typical for her age. Shego noted that not only was the broken plate cleaned up, but the table was set and ready with plates, utensils, and toppings. All that was missing were the pancakes.

Drakken stepped up and looked at where Shego had created a large, haphazard pile of the steaming breakfast cakes on a paper towel. He lifted his brow at her.

"So I can't stack. At least I've only burned one."

His brow rose higher.

"Maybe four. But only one is bad."

Drakken grinned and started organizing her pancake pile. "This is more than enough. We'll save the rest of the batter for tomorrow."

Shego felt a wash of relief as she dropped the ladle in the mixing bowl and tossed the spatula into the sink. She turned off the burner and then glanced at the other pan where whatever was reducing had thickened more.

"Uh...should I have been watching this?" she asked.

Drakken glanced up and smiled. "No. But you can turn the burner off, it's ready."

Shego did so. "What is it?"

Drakken carried the pancake stack to the table and glanced back at her with a sly smile. "Taste it. But be careful, it's—"

"Hot, yeah, I get it."

She dipped in the spoon he'd been using to stir at one point and watched the thick, translucent, reddish-gold liquid drip off of the metal. She waited several seconds before testing it with the tip of her tongue, and then licked at the sweet concoction a bit more. It was very familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"What is it?" she repeated as Drakken came back to her side.

He set his arms around her from behind, one hand holding her shoulder as the other gently rubbed her large baby bump.

"You can't tell?"

She shook her head and leaned back into him. He furrowed his brow and took the spoon from her and tasted what she'd left of the sticky substance there. She watched as his face twisted further in confusion.

"It tastes like it should... Maybe your taste buds have changed," he said with a sigh.

"I still like it," she encouraged him. "What is it?"

He set the spoon down and held her shoulder again.

"It's watermelon caramel."

Shego's brow rose. Suddenly the familiarity of the taste became clear. She turned around to face him, setting her arms around his neck as her belly pressed into him.

"Where have you been hiding a watermelon?" she asked with a grin.

"At the back of the fridge," he said. "It was a small one."

Her brow crinkled. "None left?" she asked, pressing closer to him. His arms went around her waist.

"I used it all. It was a very small one. They're out of season," he explained with an apologetic smile. "You can put the caramel on your pancakes."

Shego pulled him closer until their foreheads touched, smirking all the while.

"Unless..." Drakken grinned and lowered his voice, "you'd rather have some sugar?"

"I'd love some," she said, just before their lips met.

Shego lost herself in his touch, as she always did, until a bump against her legs brought her back from the soaring high of his kiss. Drakken however, didn't seem to be aware as his lips floated over hers and his tongue skimmed the edge of her teeth, attempting further entrance.

"Mama? Daddy? Are the pancakes ready?"

Drakken opened his eyes and peered down along with Shego, though their lips didn't part.

"Mm-hm," Drakken acknowledged their daughter, turning his attention back to Shego. He pulled away just enough to look into her eyes and he gave her a dangerous look. "We haven't really said 'good morning' today," he said in a hush, his voice deep.

Shego felt her heart race and in seconds was again lost in his kiss, gentle and tame as it was in front of their daughter.

"Stop kissing. You're always kissing!" Abby complained at their feet, her tiny hands pushing on their legs.

Shego turned her head out of the kiss slightly to grin down at their frustrated little angel. She was short-tempered at times, and demanding; both traits of her mother's.

"We can't stop," Shego smiled against Drakken's lips. "We're stuck together."

Drakken's shoulders shook with silent laughter at the familiar joke as Shego returned to their kiss. It had only fooled Abby once. Briefly.

"No you're not!" Abby whined, wiggling between them and pushing hard on their legs to separate them.

They gave in and stepped back, Shego leaning against the counter as she chuckled while Drakken picked up their daughter and hugged her close.

"We could kiss you instead?" he said.

"No!"

In unison, Drakken and Shego leaned forward to kiss Abby's cheeks. The girl squealed and wiggled in Drakken's grasp, so that he stepped back and held her tighter.

"It tickles!"

Drakken continued kissing her cheek as she squirmed and laughed until he plopped her in her booster seat in her designated chair. Shego slowly took her seat, and Drakken stepped over just in time to help her push her chair in before heading back to the stove. He poured the caramel into a dish while Shego put a pancake on Abby's plate and began cutting it into small pieces. Just as she finished, Drakken returned without his apron and placed the caramel in front of her.

"How many?" he asked her, beginning to set pancakes on her plate.

"Three."

He served himself the same and then sat down as both he and Shego dressed their breakfast to their preference.

"Butter..." Abby said, watching with a smile. "Blueberries for Daddy... Strawberries for Mama... And both for me!"

"And both for Abby Joy!" Drakken echoed, spooning some of the fruit onto her plate.

Abby's attention however had shifted to Shego, who was pouring the watermelon caramel over her pancakes instead of maple syrup.

"What's that?" Abby asked, pointing.

"Your Daddy made me watermelon caramel. It's like syrup, but it's thicker and it tastes different," Shego explained.

"Can I try?"

Shego took Abby's fork and dipped it in the thick liquid, handing it back to her once the blunted tines were coated. She and Drakken watched as their daughter stuck the fork in her mouth and sucked on it. After a few moments she made a face.

"Hmm... I don't like watermelon," she declared.

Shego froze and looked up at Drakken who was equally startled. They blinked at each other for several seconds before bursting into laughter that was loud and long.

"Mama? Daddy? What's so funny? Stop laughing! What's so funny?"


	15. Enjoy Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: In the Drakgo Skype group, we all agreed without hesitation that Drakken is a "breast man" in terms of what he's most attracted to in a woman. This fic is the result.
> 
> Slightly M-rated content, you have been warned.

** Enjoy Me **

Shego grinned, laughed, and gasped for breath in the afterglow of lovemaking. She laughed through the kisses Drakken gave her and through their cuddling, their hands rubbing up and down each other's backs as they rested in their shared joy.

After awhile, when she started coming down from her high and Drakken his, one of his arms folded between them and his hand half-cupped, half-grabbed her breast. Her heart raced, wondering if he was going to ravish her again. But his eyes closed and his breathing calmed. Though his hand stayed where it was, his other arm draped over her back.

She cuddled closer, wondering if that was typical...to fall asleep touching her like that. He hadn't done it before. Although, they hadn't been intimate for very long. Whether it was normal or not, she decided she didn't mind...

* * *

Shego was half-asleep one night when Drakken came in late from the lab. She didn't open her eyes as she listened to him change into his pajamas in the dark, nearly dropping a boot in the moat as he tried to move quietly to not wake her. She grinned as he silently slid into the bed and wiggled up behind her to spoon her. But then as his arm moved over her and his hand grabbed her breast, her eyes shot open.

She stared into the green glow of the darkness as her flesh was tenderly massaged for a moment, wondering if he knew she was awake. Or did he?

"...Drakken?"

"Ow!"

He'd bumped his head into the headboard, startled by her voice. Thankfully, he'd released his hold on her at the same time.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Yes... Sorry, I thought you were asleep?" he asked, curling back into her. A moment later his hand returned to gently kneading her breast.

Shego was confused. If he'd thought she was asleep, then why did he...? Had he been hoping to wake her so they could...? No, that didn't make sense either.

"Shego?" He continued his massaging, though softer.

She rolled over to face him. Once she was settled, he continued.

"How are you?" she asked, still confused.

Drakken looked confused. "Fine... A little tired."

Shego stared at him for another moment, trying to discern his intent. And then he spoke again.

"Shego, I'm sorry for losing track of time. I'll...set an alarm on my watch to remind me to come to bed. I'll do it now."

Shego watched as he struggled to program his watch in the dark, the quiet alarm going off repeatedly in the process. She grinned and kissed his nose.

"Worry about it tomorrow. Let's get some sleep."

The worried creases in his brow slowly smoothed and he cuddled up to her with a smile and closed his eyes. And again, his hand found her breast.

* * *

Shego's first awareness upon waking was the weight of the plush blankets of their new bed atop her, in their new home. The second was the warmth of her husband behind her, spooning her in the large bed, combined with the warmth of the morning sun coming through the windows. And the third was her husband's hands, snaking around her frame and pulling her nearer as both of his hands covered her breasts in what was by that time a very familiar gesture, kneading them gently.

She loved it.

When Drakken sighed softly she turned her head back until she caught a glimpse of his smiling face. He made tired eye contact with her and his smile grew.

"Is this going to be a thing every time we're in bed?" Shego asked.

"Hn?" he hummed back at her and then yawned.

She set her hands over his. "This."

Drakken's face suddenly fell. "Oh... I..." His hands left her body entirely. He looked sad and almost disturbed. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you first... But...Shego, I've been doing this for months. If you don't like it, why haven't you—?"

"Drakken," she interrupted with a smile. She grabbed his hands and placed them back on her breasts. "I love it."

He watched her face for any sign it was untrue, and then sighed in relief. He lay on his back and pulled her nearer, angling her body so he could get his arms around her more comfortably. She grinned as she felt the familiar, gentle kneading begin again.

"I...really should have asked, Shego," Drakken said suddenly. "I'm sorry I didn't."

She slowly flipped over to lay on his chest and brought his hands back again, smiling brightly. "I'm _yours_... Enjoy me. Have your way with me, Dr. D."

His eyes sparkled with excitement and adoration. And then suddenly his hands were in her hair behind her head, bringing her face down into a soft kiss. She leaned into his touch as her smile grew.

"I love you," she said into the kiss.


	16. Loud

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Angst fic, because the idea hit me and demanded writing. This is NOT in any way part of my headcanon. I consider this wholly AU.
> 
> Warnings include: mentions of past sexual abuse; mentions of pedophilia; consensual non-abusive sexual acts included in the fic. 
> 
> This chapter, obviously, is rated M.

**Loud**

Shego never made a sound.

Drakken had been aware of it the first time, but it hadn't registered as anything significant then. He of course, had had other things on his mind.

He noticed it more the second and third times, but only because _he_ was making so much noise. He assumed he wasn't leaving her any room, and so after that made an effort to leave space for her. Nothing changed, however.

The absence of her voice, which he was accustomed to being a constant presence in his life, was becoming more and more upsetting as time passed and as in every other circumstance they grew closer. He started becoming quieter himself as he observed her and tried to analyze why, during an activity in which he had expected her to be very verbal, she was so silent.

Most of the time her eyes would be open and she would be looking at him, her lips pressed firmly together. Sometimes her face would contort, or she would bite her lip. And the more he studied her, the more he noticed that deep beneath the happiness she always presented, there was a melancholy in her eyes. It seemed to occasionally get nearer to the surface, but it would never make it. Whenever it seemed closest, Shego would close her eyes, press her lips together in a tight smile, and when she opened her eyes again the look would have sunk down to the depths.

Drakken wondered about that almost as much as he did her silence and wondered if the two were related.

He determined to find out all of it one day and decided he would be absolutely silent, as she always was. If she didn't fill the void then he would ask.

Keeping quiet was hard however, and he found he couldn't look at her if he wanted to accomplish his goal. He closed his eyes and looked away, focusing only on remaining silent as he sought to understand. Until...

"Why are you so quiet?" Shego asked.

Drakken's eyes snapped open and he looked at her. She had the look in her eyes that he knew—happiness, with melancholy deep beneath the surface. But there was something else now... A slight concern and anxiety mixed with curiosity. It was distracting and Drakken took a moment to think of his answer.

"You're always quiet," he stated with a small smile, hoping the words would come off casually.

Shego's soft smile faltered and the melancholy rose rapidly toward the surface. But she seemed to shove it back down with minimal effort and the corners of her mouth twitched upward. She put her arms further around him.

"I like it when you talk. Keep talking," she said, and he watched her eyes as the strange, worrisome sadness grew nearer to the surface. His smile faltered. As did his actions.

Instead of speaking, he closed his eyes and kissed her shoulder as his mind began spinning with his lack of understanding. He felt her arms move up more securely around his neck.

He supposed it shouldn't matter and that he should let it go... But it simply didn't make sense. Everything about Shego's personality suggested that she...should be very loud when they made love. But she was utterly silent and come to think of it, almost...inactive, letting him do everything. He did not understand. His confusion began turning to worry, and then to upset. His two suddenly warring instincts were to stop everything and demand an answer, or to finish and be so good that whatever reason she was silent would be forgotten in her ecstasy.

He went with the latter. And it wasn't long before his own decision to be silent flew away as he couldn't help murmuring his love for her between every kiss and every deliberate touch.

When he felt her familiar writhing and her thighs clenching at his sides he looked up from where he was kissing her neck. He was suddenly surprised to find her crying as her face went through its familiar contortions as she rode her waves of pleasure...in complete silence. But the tears staining her cheeks were new, and Drakken determined to stop and ask her if she was okay as soon as she'd come back down from the high, but then...

Her lips parted and she sharply, but softly, took in a shallow breath. It was the first sound she had ever made. So Drakken kept going.

* * *

Later, as they lay cuddled tightly together in a tangle of limbs, Drakken was still kissing her all over and murmuring his love, all of which she accepted to his relief with a small, contented smile. Her face was still slightly damp, and she kept her eyes closed throughout his attentions. His confusion about her silence was only growing as he stared at the remaining traces of tears on her cheeks.

It was significant. It had to be. And it had something to do with whatever was in her eyes that she seemed to fight every time they were intimate. And he couldn't bear the new worry that was rising in him... That he was doing something wrong and somehow making her unhappy, or hurting her.

He paused in his doting and lifted his hand to her cheek to wipe away the remaining wetness, and her eyes opened to look at him.

"Shego...why were you crying?"

She hugged him tighter. "Because you make me so happy."

A smile bloomed on Drakken's face, but it didn't reach his eyes as he thought of the consistently sad look in hers.

"Then..." he took a nervous breath, "why do you always look so sad?"

Shego's face fell. She looked away as her fingers twisted around his hair for a moment where her arm was around him. He held his breath as he waited, and then just when he thought he needed to apologize she looked back.

"I do?"

Drakken nodded slowly. "You look...like you're lost in thought, and sometimes you look really sad but then you...just shake yourself out of it."

The sad look was suddenly back in Shego's eyes, along with anxiety. Drakken's own rose rapidly and he lightly rubbed her back as he thought quickly.

"If I did something wrong, or something to hurt you, I'm sorry. If you tell me what it is, I promise I—"

"No!" Shego said quickly, covering his lips with her fingertips. "No, you're...amazing."

She followed her statement with a strong kiss, and she pressed into him as her lips made it very clear she meant exactly what she'd said.

When they parted she still looked sad and even more anxious. Drakken wasn't sure what to do and continued rubbing her back as he waited to see if she might say more. She had all but acknowledged that there was indeed something bothering her whenever they were in bed together, and if he wasn't the problem...then what was?

"I...guess I should have told you this," Shego said, settling her head onto the pillow and looking up at the headboard. Her eyes darted to his briefly to see he was listening, and then she looked away again. "When I was very young...before the comet hit, my uncle..."

She trailed off and her eyes grew very distant. A dark foreboding built in Drakken as he watched her seem to slam a wall up between her emotions and whatever she was about to say.

"He was my mother's sister's husband. I always felt uncomfortable around him. Like...whenever we'd all play football...if I was hiking the ball and he was quarterback, I didn't like the way his hands touched the inside of my thighs."

The foreboding Drakken felt exploded into a dark inferno. A sickening black weight began turning his stomach at the same time a raging heat began coursing through him to every nerve ending. He didn't want to hear another word, but he also wanted to hear the end so if the man was as vile as he suspected, he could target a death ray directly at his home.

"It started when Hego and Mego and I lived with them—my aunt and uncle—for a little while. My mother was really sick after she had the twins, and she and my dad couldn't take care of all of us. One time my aunt took everyone else to my cousin's basketball game. I guess I was napping when they left and my uncle...must have convinced them to let me stay home. We were the only ones home."

The sick feeling in Drakken's gut won out as he listened to where he was certain her reminiscence was going. Her eyes had grown hard as she spoke, but he could still see the sadness deep within.

"He came in in the dark. Woke me up and told me to be quiet. He...he..."

Drakken gripped Shego's shoulder and she bit her lip hard as she was startled. She made no sound, despite being surprised. Her eyes met his.

"I was five. It happened...four more times. And then we went back to live with my parents, because my mother got better. I've never told anyone. But...each time it happened, I would start to cry and...he would keep repeating 'be quiet' and if I didn't he would hit me so...I learned to be quiet."

Drakken scowled in anger. "He's still out there?"

"Yes... But, my cousin caught him with a woman shortly after my aunt died. He hardly has a relationship with his kids now. I guess that's sort of punishment..."

"That's not good enough." Drakken sat up abruptly. "Where does he live? I'm firing up the laser—"

"Drakken. Wait. That's...not everything."

Drakken turned back to face her, his eyes slowly widening. Shego sat up and he set his hands on her arms.

"In high school...and later in college, I had boyfriends who wanted me to talk while we... But I couldn't. And so they would...rough me up. I broke up with them when it was obvious they weren't really in it for me."

Drakken felt the rage begin building again as his arms circled her and he wondered if there was a way to find those two men and aim his laser at their homes as well. He refocused as he felt Shego's hands rest lightly atop his shoulders.

"They got rougher when I didn't talk... So I..."

It all clicked for Drakken.

"You can't talk because of your uncle...and you're afraid to do something different because you're afraid any change might...might make me...?"

"No," Shego said, shaking her head. "I know you would never do anything like that."

Drakken wanted to believe her. But her eyes sent a different message.

"Shego I— I would never do anything that you don't want me to! Do you...want to stop? H-h-having...? We don't have to anymore."

Shego's lips parted. She stared at him for a moment and then threw her arms around him, her face pressing into his neck moments later. Drakken held her close as he felt a wet heat at his neck from her tears.

"I'm so sorry Shego," he said, still reeling from what she had revealed. His horror and anger had become a swirling chaos that he didn't know how to manage. He just held her closer and let her cry. Silently, of course. He wondered if she had cried at five years old...

"I won't...we don't..." he stammered as the ill feeling returned to his stomach. But then Shego slowly pulled out of his embrace.

"No... No I love it. I love being with you," she said. Her eyes affirmed her sincerity.

She set her face in his neck again while Drakken's mind continued to spin while his chest ached and his stomach turned. He didn't know what to do. So he held her and waited while she cried, and tried to get his own emotions to settle.

It was several minutes before Shego pulled away again, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. The smile she gave him came from the depths of her reddened eyes without any hint of sadness or anxiety beneath. She set her hands behind his neck and leaned forward to place her forehead against hers.

"I love you..." she whispered.

"I love you too," he responded immediately, but his expression showed his uncertainty.

Shego looked at him thoughtfully for a long moment, and then drew him down to lay cuddled on the mattress again. She curled against him as he was used to, but her smile was different... More peaceful, somehow. Like she wasn't constantly on her guard.

"I'll...try to talk next time," she said softly where her head rested beneath his chin.

He pulled back to look at her. "You don't have to!" he said quickly. "I...I just...I thought you would. But you don't have to."

She looked into his eyes as if to verify his statement, and he watched her become even more settled as the seconds passed. Finally, she closed her eyes as she cuddled closer to him.

"Thank you," she said.

Drakken thought a moment. "...Can I destroy those men's homes with my death ray?"

Shego relaxed further. "Sure."

* * *

The next time didn't come for quite awhile. Drakken was too anxious about bringing up traumatic memories, and Shego had seemed a bit more distracted around the lair after their conversation. And especially after he blew up the houses of her uncle and two ex-boyfriends...

The idea of a life of celibacy wasn't a pleasant one. But worse was the idea of reminding Shego of the past, so with effort he worked to put the idea out of his head. Eventually he stopped dwelling on it, and as Shego seemed to have forgotten too, he was very content to move on with their lives. Until one evening when Shego surprised him with behavior that was very atypical...but exactly what he had expected from her when they got together.

She snuck into the bathroom while he was showering, eliciting a shout from him when he finally noticed the green figure leaning up against the counter. She was smirking at him, looking a mixture of smug and seductive. He wasn't entirely sure what to make of her presence, except that the look in her eyes was stirring the desire he had locked down and he had no idea what to do about it.

He got his answer after he dried off. The towel was barely around his waist before it was joined by her arms, the front of her nightgown dampening when she pressed against his chest, and her lips and tongue meeting his ravenously.

"Mmh, Shego," he mumbled uncertainly through the kiss as she started tugging him toward the door that would lead them to the bedroom. She grabbed his hands and set them on her hips when they backed up to the moat.

His mind warred with his body about what to do. Should he mention their past conversation? Would it only hurt things? Should he simply trust her and do what she wanted?

He settled on the latter as she hummed into the kiss as they sat together on the bed, so softly he had barely heard it. His brow shot upward when she hummed a second time, slightly more audibly. After a long period of indecision in which her kisses changed from tame to feral, he finally let himself slip away into her touch and into the joy of bringing their hearts so close.

For several minutes everything was familiar, except that Shego was a bit more forward in her actions than she'd been in the past. Her hands roamed more assuredly and her kisses were more fierce. But the two hums that had started things hadn't returned.

Drakken was perfectly content to murmur and cry his love for her with every passing second. He would have lost himself entirely in her arms, especially because it had been so long, but as they approached the precipice he felt Shego's fingernails tighten on his shoulders, and then...

A soft hum. And following it, even softer...

"Drakken..."

He lifted his lips from her shoulder to look at her face. Her eyes held pure joy.


	17. The Joke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More angst! Shorter and a perfectly safe subject matter.

**The Joke**

Drakken barely paid attention to the lunch he was eating as he finished reading an article in _Scientific Genius._ He was excited to put to use the techniques they enumerated in his latest plan.

He turned the page to the jokes section of the magazine as he drank his coffee, his grin a bit wider than usual. Readers of the magazine were allowed to send in jokes, and he had been eagerly awaiting the printing of the one he had submitted. He had thought long and hard about his joke too and was sure it would make the cut.

As he scanned the page, his face bloomed into a smile. There was his joke. Small, easily missed by someone not reading closely, but there nonetheless with "D. Lipsky" printed at the end where author's names were always listed.

He stood from the table with the magazine in both hands, his arms stretched out in front of him as he stared at it. He was so excited, he wanted to share it with someone. But...who?

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pushed the speed dial for Duff Killigan. The Scotsman was always up for a good laugh...

 _"What do you want?"_ was the greeting Drakken was met with when the line connected.

Drakken's grin faltered, a bit taken aback.

"Killigan, are you subscribed to _Scientific American_?"

_"Am I what?"_

"The magazine.

_"What magazine?"_

"... _Scientific Genius_. They have a jokes section where the public can submit jokes, and this week I—"

_"Och Drakken, I'm teeing off. I dinna have time fer yer whining."_

Drakken blinked in shock as the line went dead, and then he slowly scowled. Killigan seemed to take golf more seriously than he took even evil, at times.

With a grimace he paged lower in his contacts list until he found Monkey Fist. The simian villain always appreciated humor, especially if it was good.

The phone connected on the fourth ring, and the villain's voice sounded distant. Drakken grinned and opened his mouth, but then a sigh through the line interrupted him.

"What is it, Drakken? I am just sitting down to afternoon tea."

Drakken swallowed at the ill feeling Monkey Fist's disdained tone suddenly gave him. "I...just wanted to tell you about—"

"Your new plan to...let me guess...'take over the world'? Oh let me tell you mine, it's so much more interesting."

Drakken listened for a minute as Monkey Fist, obviously on speaker phone as Drakken heard occasional chewing and the clatter of china, began detailing some plan that involved a 'monkey horde' and stealing an ancient Cambodian artifact.

When there was no break in the man's words after several minutes, Drakken hung up. He peered down at the magazine in his hands and read over his joke again. His smile returned in the form of a tiny quirk at one corner of his mouth. It was so good! It demanded sharing.

He thought hard, and with a bit of disappointment as he realized there was no one else he could share it with... His mother couldn't ever be allowed to know that publication existed.

_'Shego!'_

He didn't know why he hadn't thought of her immediately. Probably because she never cared much for his science talk. He began hurrying through the lair with a skip in his step as he searched for her, the magazine becoming a bit crumpled under his tight grip. Surely she would appreciate the joke, he had written it so that anyone with a basic high school chemistry knowledge would understand.

When he found her she was leaning over his desk in the den, pulling out a drawer.

"Shego!"

She peered up with a slight frown as he rushed toward her, arms outstretched as he pointed to the magazine.

"What?"

"I've been published in _Scientific Genius!_ " he cried happily, offering her the magazine as he stopped in front of her.

Shego gaped as she accepted the magazine. "You? They took something you wrote?" she said as Drakken pointed to the page. "What was it, a... Oh, just a joke."

An airy laugh left her lips and Drakken frowned.

"It's a very good joke, Shego!"

Her eyes narrowed at the page where Drakken pointed, and he waited as she read his tiny joke. And then, one corner of her mouth turned up. Warmth bloomed and Drakken's chest.

Just then Shego's cell phone beeped with a text message alert where it sat on the corner of his desk. She immediately set the magazine down and picked up the phone, flipping it open and quickly reading. Her expression brightened into a smile and she laughed long and loud at the words on the tiny screen.

The warmth began to leave Drakken's chest. "Who's that??

Shego turned to him and looked at him like she had forgotten he was there. "Junior. He's so funny!"

The warmth evaporated like breath in winter, and Drakken felt an empty feeling begin to settle in.

"We're going out... Oh, reminds me. Paycheck," Shego said.

Drakken noticed her casual attire for the first time as she went back to his desk drawer and a moment later was thrusting his check book and a pen toward him. He accepted the items and wordlessly filled in the familiar words and numbers. He tore the check off and handed it to her.

"Thanks! See you Monday," Shego said brightly as she left the room.

Drakken stood next to the desk and blinked after her for several minutes, the only sound in the room the crackle of embers in the fireplace. A sigh escaped his nose as he turned back to the desk and picked up the magazine.

"You wrote a joke, Dr. Drakken? _Yes, would you like to hear it?_ " he said, conversing with himself. "I would! You always say such clever things! _Why thank you Dr. Drakken. Here's the joke: Did you hear that oxygen went on a date with potassium? It went OK._ Oh, you're so witty! Great joke, Lipsky! _Thank you Dr. Drakken, that means so much coming from you! You're my best friend."_

He stared at the magazine, the crackling of the fire drowned out by the loudness of his thoughts.

__'My only friend...'_ _

Drakken chewed on the bitterness of the thought that settled deep in his mind. He didn't want to let it out for the heavy finality it seemed to carry. And yet he couldn't help himself. The evidence, as he had seen it, was too strong to argue with.

__'You'll never be that person for anyone.'_ _

He blinked at his name on the page one last time. And then he threw the magazine into the fire, and left the den.


	18. My Heartbeat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Little angst idea hit me this morning. There's another note at the end, but it's spoilery so wait to read the fic first. And as is typical of me, trying to write something short turned into something longer. But I'm not dissatisfied with that! Hope you enjoy. Please review!

**My Heartbeat**

Soft. Warm. The barely perceptible, but rhythmic and steady pulsing beneath his hand. Her heartbeat.

It was his anchor as he lay beside her, his eyes frequently closed during the long hours as he stayed with her in an attempt to comfort her—physically, mentally, emotionally... He didn't dare leave her side unless he had to.

His hand flat on her chest, feeling the slow, gentle beat of her heart, let him know that for the moment at least she wasn't panicking. But he knew what was in her mind, for it was the same thing that had been in his constantly for the past six weeks.

A hiss from her lips caused his eyes to open the second before her entire body winced in pain, her knees drawing up farther, her arms hugging her middle tighter, and her face twisting into a grimace. He kissed her bare shoulder repeatedly as she rode the wave of pain mixed with nausea, a symptom that had become a constant presence in her body. It kept her mostly bedridden for the past several weeks, and so he had resigned himself to the same. The pain was bad enough to endure; he couldn't bear the thought of her being alone in her fear.

Suddenly the warmth of her chest beneath his hand vanished as she rolled to the side and vomited into the bucket set next to the bed for just that purpose. He was on his knees in a flash, holding her hair back and rubbing her arm as she expelled only bile, for there was nothing in her stomach to actually throw up. She hadn't been able to keep food down for weeks.

When she was finished, he held the glass of water for her to swish her mouth clean and she spat that into the bucket as well. He considered encouraging her to drink, but the pained look on her face told him it would have to wait.

As soon as she was re-settled, he wordlessly left the bed to take the bucket to the industrial-sized sink in the lab to clean, as had become their routine. But not before setting up the backup bucket for her.

His steps were brisk as he hurried to complete the task, his head down and his brow furrowed in worry as he thought about the way her clothes hung loose on her body and how her hip bones seemed to be jutting upward more prominently when he watched her laying on her back.

As he cleaned the bucket he decided to bring up going to the hospital again. He thought he could convince her this time, but...he dreaded the emotional stress it would bring her, if he took the tactic that he thought would work. And he knew that being in the hospital would only add to her fear and stress, thus potentially making things worse.

It was a problem that seemed to be without a solution.

After returning and setting the bucket back next to the bed, and noting the backup bucket was still clean, he returned to her side where she had resumed the familiar position of trying to moderate her pain. Knees drawn up, forearms wrapped around her middle, head on the pillow with her tangled hair splayed in every direction, and her eyes closed with her face frozen in a permanent grimace of pain.

She looked so...helpless.

He carefully crawled back onto the bed next to her so as not to jostle her and make her pain worse, and when he lay down he kissed her shoulder repeatedly as he replaced his hand over her heart. After a few minutes of the slow, lazy kisses he shifted up onto his side and leaned partially over her. Her eyes slid open, and he hesitated just enough for her to see the sympathy in his eyes before he kissed her lips.

Time slipped away as they kissed, the soft and slow caresses a shared comfort that they both sorely needed. He longed to take her in his arms and bring her small form close to his and perhaps strengthen her through his soul... But such poetic things were only possible in imagination.

A hiss of pain escaping her lips parted them, and he stared down at her in worry as she blinked through the wave of nausea and discomfort. Her eyes pleaded with him as he remained hovering over her, their faces mere inches apart. It broke his heart and gave him the final push to make the suggestion, as there was nothing he could do to help her.

"I think you should go to the hospital," he blurted out.

Her gaze slowly focused as she writhed. She shook her head. "No. If I go in...they won't let me out."

He lifted a hand to slowly stroke her cheek, her skin hot and clammy to the touch. "Why not?"

"They'll just want to keep running tests... They'll try to analyze my powers, to see how they affect me and how they'll...how..." She trailed off as her throat constricted and her eyes started filling with tears.

Drakken sat up and slowly gathered her into his arms. She shook slightly from the pain of the movement, but soon her arms were around him and clinging to him as she cried into his shoulder.

The fear they both felt was tangible at almost every moment. Even when she felt up to getting out of bed and he could coax her into a walk for exercise, he knew...it was always on her mind. And he feared that the level of stress she was under would be just as harmful as her powers could be. But her inability to eat was the first and most important priority.

"But Shego... You've barely eaten in weeks. You're losing weight. The hospital can give you nutrients through an IV. It's not as good as real food, but since you can't eat—"

"I don't want to go!" she said desperately. "You know they'll run tests. And...if they find something..."

Her tightening throat cut off her words again, and he rubbed her back as she clung to him. He understood her fear. On the one hand, a hospital could give them constant status updates...and then if something was really wrong they could potentially know about it while there was still time to do something. But on the other hand... They could discover that everything they were hoping for was just a dream, and nothing more.

He dreaded the day they would be met with the cold, Earth-shattering truth that what they so desired was impossible—they couldn't have children. And he knew that Shego blamed herself, as much as it was an equal possibility that the loss of their first child may have been due to his mutated genetics; he couldn't dissuade her from the idea that it was just her. And her constant illness through both pregnancies only served as 'evidence' in her eyes.

He began kissing her head and rubbed her back as she continued crying into his shoulder. She had been more stressed that week than usual, and he didn't want to bring up what he was sure was the reason why. It was the seventeenth week—the same week that they had lost their first child. And now they were at the same threshold for the one currently growing within her. There was no way of knowing of course if there was anything special about that week. They didn't even know why they had lost the first one. But he understood there was a psychological fear that she was dealing with, however unscientifically based it may be.

He hoped that when the week was past she may be able to calm down, but he feared she would only get worse. In the rare moments he wasn't at her side, he had been researching and he knew that stress was the last thing a pregnancy needed. Not to mention malnutrition.

He gently drew her head back and her wide, frightened eyes met his, searching for something. After a moment she looked down, her face twisting in embarrassment and anger, no doubt with her own weakness. His heart broke.

He kissed the tears from her cheeks as she tried to control her labored breaths. And then she kissed him hard, just for a moment as she suddenly winced in pain, and then doubling over she turned to throw up nothing over the side of the bed again. Drakken pulled her hair back and covered her body with his protectively, hovering close to her heaving back. When her breathing began to calm she pushed against his back and then rolled to the center of the bed, he moving ahead of her. She leaned shakily on her side, staring at nothing, her eyes wide with dread.

He watched the trembling of her shirt over her chest with every heartbeat, slowing gradually as her vision began to refocus. He rubbed her arm ever so lightly as she swallowed and mentally shook herself of the emotions she was fighting. She looked up at him slowly.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"No," he said quickly, gathering her up into his arms. "It's okay to be scared."

He felt her shuddering breaths against his chest as she held on tight. And for a moment he let himself feel it too. The dread of losing another child... Something they hadn't even been sure they wanted until they'd found themselves pregnant the first time. And now they wanted it so desperately it was almost painful. But...he needed to be strong for her. So he swallowed down his own fear and set his mind to solving the problems that he had some control over.

"Shego..." He leaned back and held her shoulders as she looked up into his eyes. She must have read what he was about to say because defiance suddenly sprang up in hers. But he was putting his foot down. "You have to get nutrition somehow. If you can't eat, then...the baby won't get any nutrients either. And then none of the rest of this will matter."

He saw in her eyes, reluctant as she was, that she knew he was right. And regardless, he was resolved. Even if it meant taking her to the hospital against her will. He wasn't going to lose their second baby just because she was too sick to eat. Not to mention...he was starting to fear losing her too.

"Okay. I'll try to eat something again," she said uncertainly.

"Good." Drakken stood up and stepped around the bed, scooping her up into his arms since walking while sick always meant a pause to throw up at least once. He also leaned down for her to grab a bucket in the event of such a problem on the way to the kitchen.

"Drakken..." she murmured as she set her face against his neck, her fingers lazily clinging to the bucket handle as it swung and bounced off his leg.

"Yes?"

He stopped walking as she lifted her head to look at him. Her eyes searched his, but for what he wasn't sure. He continued on more slowly as he watched her and waited. She glanced down a moment, appearing sad before she looked back up. They reached the kitchen and he took the bucket from her and set it on a chair.

"If...if we can't do this...are you going to be okay?"

Drakken's lips parted in silent surprise as he stared into her worried eyes. Had part of her fear throughout the weeks been for him?

"I know...you're trying to be strong for me, but I know that...this means everything to you. And if we can't...I still love you."

She slid out of his arms to stand in front of him as he continued staring at her in shock. Was she worried that if they couldn't have a baby that he wouldn't...want her anymore?

He watched her cheeks color as she looped her arms around his neck and spoke softly and shyly, but a bit desperately. "I love you...with all I am."

"Oh...Shego," he said in the split second before he kissed her. His arms locked tightly around her as he attempted to kiss away every fear and worry about their relationship that she had. The thought that he might leave her...for anything... But worst of all, the realization that she was insecure about their relationship.

If she weren't sick, he would carry her back to bed and prove his love in as many ways as she needed. He settled for proving kisses instead, his lips moving against hers powerfully until the salt of her falling tears joined the sweetness of her lips. And it wasn't until he felt her melting in his arms that he scooped her up again and brought his lips higher to kiss her closed eyes.

"Oh Shego," he murmured. "Darling..."

She slowly leaned away, a small smirk having found its way to her face.

"'Darling'?"

He blushed. He did often call her that and more, but just in his head...

"Dumpling?" he tried.

Her smirk grew. "Nostalgic..." she said with a nod.

Her arms tightened around his neck and he felt a grin coming to his own lips as he finally saw a hint of peace in her eyes. He took a breath and let spill many of the things that often ran through his head when he looked at her.

"My queen. My angel. Goddess. The most perfect woman to have ever existed."

Her smirk bloomed into a full smile, and he continued rambling on as he set her down on one of the bar stools before turning to the fridge.

"Sweetheart... My pearl... My jewel..." he said with a grin as he began gathering ingredients and piling them around the blender. "Babe... Hot tamale..."

Shego almost giggled at that one, but then her smile vanished as she held her stomach and doubled over, one hand gripping the counter as the other held her stomach. Drakken watched her for a moment until he was sure she wasn't going to need the bucket, and then he started up the blender.

Shego watched him with interest as she slowly recovered her good humor, her hand not leaving her stomach as she blinked at him. He finished blending the ingredients and then poured the mixture into a pot on the stove, after which he immediately began washing the blender.

"Keep going," Shego said quietly, her voice belying the pain she constantly felt.

Drakken thought of the other things he called her in his mind as he washed the appliance. "My star... My sunshine."

He nearly wiped his soapy hands on his pajamas, forgetting he wasn't wearing an apron. He wiped them on a dish towel and then stirred the broth he had made, smiling in satisfaction before opening the freezer and taking out a Tupperware of homemade ice cream. He set it on the counter in front of Shego with a spoon, and then followed it up by pouring a glass of coconut milk he took from the fridge.

"Ginger?" Shego asked, cautiously picking up the spoon.

"Yes. Eat a little of that first. If you can...keep it down, then we'll try the broth."

"Okay..." she said uncertainly, putting a tiny sliver of the ice cream on the edge of the spoon.

Drakken watched her slowly eat the sliver, tensing as she did so as if the minuscule amount of food would instantly cause her nausea to worsen. But after several seconds, it didn't. She took another small sliver onto her spoon.

Drakken turned the broth on the stove down to a simmer and then moved to sit beside her, setting a supportive arm around her. As he watched her nervously dissolve the second sliver of ice cream on her tongue, a thought occurred to him.

"Maybe...I could work some of my connections. And instead of going to the hospital, we could bring the hospital to you."

She looked at him in a mixture of curiosity and fear. But she put another sliver of ice cream on her spoon.

"Just...an IV, so you can get some more nutrition. And...maybe an ultrasound machine?"

Shego looked up and away at nothing. He watched the emotions play across her face as all the possibilities ran through her mind.

"We wouldn't...have to have anyone here. I can set it all up myself. And I know how to insert an IV—"

"Drakken... Okay."

He studied her expression as she looked at him. She still looked afraid, her tangled hair falling across her face as she gazed at him and struggled to make trust the dominant emotion in her eyes.

"My dream..." he said as he brushed her hair back. Her smile slowly returned as he offered more pet names. "My heartbeat... My world."

"I like those..." she said with a small smirk. "But how about...just 'dumpling' for when you feel like you need a pet name, and...'darling' in public, to rub our happiness in people's faces?"

Drakken grinned. But the moment of peace was broken as Shego grimaced and whirled around to hold her face over the bucket to throw up nothing again, the spoon gripped tightly in her shaking fingers as she retched. Drakken grabbed her hair and held it, wrapping an arm around her to support her as her legs began to shake.

As soon as she was done, he picked her up again so she didn't have to worry about standing. She hissed in pain as she tightened in on herself and leaned into his chest, her head falling on his shoulder. Drakken sighed and picked up the bucket, prepared to head back to their bedroom.

"Shego—"

"Put me down," she said shakily. "You're right. The baby needs to eat. I want to keep trying the ice cream."

He carefully set her back on the bar stool and after replacing the bucket on the chair he sat next to her. She put another sliver of ice cream on the spoon that she'd managed not to drop and then let it dissolve on her tongue. Drakken gently rubbed her back as he watched her struggle, helpless for what to do next.

As her shaking began to still she looked up at him, the familiar fear and worry evident through the pain in her eyes.

"We'll be okay, Shego," he said with authority, though he was sure his voice was shaking. But then through the fear, love began to shine in the green depths of her gaze.

"Drakken... Call me something sweet again," she said softly, a tiny smirk turning up the corners of her mouth..

He leaned closer to her and held her tighter as she put a slightly larger bit of ice cream on her spoon.

"My world... My heartbeat."

She licked the ice cream off the spoon and then rested her face against his.

"My love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For those who have read my fic "Rekindling," this is a distant sequel.


	19. At Last

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Oh look, a post-Grad AU. This is for prompts #8 AND #9 from [DrakgoPrompts](https://drakgoprompts.tumblr.com/) on Tumblr.

**At Last**

The karaoke night had started out fun, to Shego's surprise. Although in retrospect, the first shot of tequila probably had a lot to do with that.

Making fun of Motor Ed attempting to sing anything was great, but making fun of him attempting to sing Kansas was even better. She had cackled into Drakken's shoulder, some of his sweet rum dripping onto her cheek from where it had spilled from his mouth as he laughed along with her.

It was equally fun to make fun of Eddie's duets with Drakken, and then to egg on Eddie and Adrena when they sang together, chanting 'kiss!' at the recently dating couple. Even though it was both of their opinions that the pair would never make it past a third date.

A drunken suggestion to that end was met with a laugh from the equally drunk pair, and a boast from Ed that that night _was_ their third date, and Adrena declaring that the mulletted man liked to have freaky fun as she slid into his lap. Shego and Drakken understood exactly what the basis of that relationship was, the pair only having met a month prior at the cafe outside the UN after Drakken's awards ceremony.

Shego had wondered frequently about hers and Drakken's relationship too, ever since the invasion. He seemed to be doing the same, as he was brooding more, giving her nervous looks, and seemed to be trying to spend more time talking to her. He asked questions about her brothers who he had seen again at the ceremony. He asked what she wanted to do, now that she was pardoned, and there seemed to be a hint of fear behind the question... Fear she would leave?

Shego knocked back her third shot as she pushed the thoughts away. They'd gone out that night to have fun. And it _had_ been fun singing onstage with Drakken, even if the way he smiled at her each time they did made her face flush.

Shego scowled as she poured a fourth shot. She could feel Drakken's eyes on her from where he sat next to her, tilting his chair back on its legs a bit as he nursed his drink. She wanted to warn him he would fall, but he should know better. She kept her mouth shut.

"What?" she finally asked, turning to him with narrowed eyes.

"What?" he echoed, nearly losing his balance as he abruptly sat forward, his fingers fidgeting in his lap as the chair legs impacted the floor with a _'clack'_.

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Her hand tightly gripped her glass as she felt another flush come to her cheeks just from looking at him. The feeling only worsened as she saw his own cheeks color.

"W-was I staring? S-sorry."

He continued to stare, and his lack of excuse made her even more anxious. She swallowed back the drink as she stood up to leave, deciding she had had enough fun for the evening.

Drakken stood as well, looking frantic. "Wait! Where are you going?"

"As entertaining as those two are," she looked to where Eddie and Adrena were still hanging onto each other as they took a bow on the stage, the other patrons of the karaoke bar cheering, "I'm at my limit for stupid, tonight."

"But it's my turn!" he protested.

Shego set her glass down and started for the door. "There'll be other times..." she said distractedly.

“But...Shego I have something to tell you!” he insisted, following after her and grabbing her arm.

“Oooh, are you about to profess your undying love for me?” she taunted, shaking his hand off with a scoff.

The DJ announced Drakken's name, and they turned and glanced at the crowd that had begun to cheer and stare at them, excited by the familiar name. Drakken took a deep breath.

“Yes, I am.”

“...What?”

A hardness joined the anxiety in his eyes as he hurried past her and took the stage. Shego felt her stomach begin doing flips as she stood seemingly frozen in place, watching him take his place beneath the spotlight and lift the microphone from its stand.

"This song," he began, "is dedicated to...the love of my life."

Shego didn't dare look around her, but she could feel every eye on her. Blood thundered in her ears and prevented her from hearing the rest of Drakken's speech. But when the opening instrumental vamp from a Chicago love ballad sounded from the speakers, she recovered.

_"You know our love was meant to be—"_

The green glowing blast prevented Drakken from getting any further in his song. Shego waited only long enough to see he was okay before turning on her heel and stalking briskly toward the back door. She ignored Motor Ed's jeering and Adrena's cries for her to hit Drakken again as she slipped from the alcohol-scented atmosphere and into the cool night air.

She leaned against the wall opposite the door in the alley as she tried to rein in her emotions. How dare he do something like that, when the closest thing they had had to a conversation about their relationship was the simple agreement to lay low together while they decided how best to utilize the gift of a pardon for saving the world. Besides, he had never shown any interest of that nature in her before. Was it new? Had it been there all along? Was it just the alcohol?

More importantly...did she want him to feel that way?

Her heart was racing and her stomach turning as she considered the brief conversation they had had before he took the stage, the way he had been staring at her all night, and the heat that came to her cheeks and truly her entire being each time he smiled at her.

She didn't get any more time to think about it, however, as the door opened again and suddenly Drakken was in front of her.

"What's the big idea?" she burst out, before he could say something that forced her to give more presence to the thoughts that had begun to coalesce in her mind.

"Shego..." He took a step toward her, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. Had his eyes always been such a dark but clear blue? "I love you. I want you. I don't want to keep thinking about...what to do now that we're free. None of it will matter without you."

Whether it was because of the alcohol or his entrancing gaze, Shego didn't know. But she found herself unable to move as he approached her, the fingers of one of his hands gently unfolding her nervously clasped ones in front of her chest while his other hand came to rest on her hip. Her eyes were transfixed by his lips approaching hers. She barely felt their fingers intertwine, or when he held her hand up on the wall above them.

The taste of rum mingled with tequila as their lips slowly met. She was surprised to find herself the one to tracing her tongue against the soft pillows of his lips as he kissed her with passion. The miasma of alcohol that seemed to surround them only intensified as their tongues met in a dance that only grew the fire burning within her. Her free hand found his chest and pressed firmly against the muscles beneath his shirt. She was rewarded with a hum from deep within his chest, and a moment later her hand became trapped as his frame pressed against her, surrounding her and pinning her to the wall.

Lost in his kiss and the warmth of his body, she was content to remain there and drink in everything that was Drakken, until a familiar jeer caught her ear and pulled her lips out of the passionate embrace.

"Yeah, 'Cous! Just like mine and Freak-Babe's first date!"

Shego narrowed her eyes over Drakken's shoulder at Motor Ed and Adrena Lynn peering through the alley door. She made eye contact with Drakken for just a moment, sharing his knowing smirk before she reached over his shoulder and fired a green blast at the offending pair. The slam of the door signaled their retreat, and Shego turned back to Drakken. His intense gaze had started to fall to worry.

"Shego... Shego, I—"

"Shh..." she said, bringing a finger to his lips. His expression relaxed, and she found the pounding of her heart to suddenly be a comfort as she stared up into his eyes. She didn't have anymore questions about the future. "Let's get out of here."

"Where?" he asked, still pressed against her.

"Let's take the hover car up to the roof. Unless you think you can last longer," she said with a smirk.

He looked decidedly confused, but a deliberate press of her hips brought color to his cheeks and understanding to his eyes.

"O-oh..."

Shego bit her lip as her smirk grew, her heart pounding as he looked at her. But the startled look in his eyes gradually vanished beneath his hunger as his fingers tightened in the flesh at her hip.

"That's what I thought," she said. She pulled his hand down from the wall as he stepped back to release her, and she heard the faint tones from inside the bar of someone crooning 'At Last.' An alcohol-induced giggle escaped her lips as she fell into Drakken's side, his arm wrapping around her waist as the started out of the alley side-by-side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Prompt #9 was karaoke. Prompt #8 was that dialogue exchange about professing undying love.


	20. Curiosity and Confidence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: For DrakgoPrompts #10 on tumblr.

**Curiosity and Confidence**

Abigail Joy Lipsky studied the unfamiliar objects at eye-level in the store her father had called a gift shop. Most were animals, but there were also trucks, cradles, toy blocks, cartoon characters, and houses. All were made of some kind of painted glass and contained flowers.

"Which one should we buy, Abby Joy?" her father asked as she eyed the objects. When she looked up at him, she saw there were more on shelves higher.

"Um...the kitten," she said, looking at one object styled like a brown, woven basket with a pink ball of yarn on the front and with a white kitten laying on top.

Her father chuckled. "But the new baby is a boy. Maybe he'd like something blue?"

Abby looked at the objects that were blue until one caught her eye. "How about the train?" The stubby finger of the three and a half year old pointed at a blue and white train with green trim. "Aren't those Mama's favorite flowers?"

When she peered up at her father again his ever-bright smile seemed even brighter.

"Yes they are. Can you hand it to me, so I can buy it?"

Abby carefully picked up the heavy painted glass train with hydrangeas planted inside and turned toward her father. He took it from her and her eyes drifted back to the glass kitten on the pink yarn while he made the purchase. 

Minutes later they were walking barren halls, the linoleum floor and bumpy walls the same dingy, dirty white color. Her father had entrusted her with the train again, and her eyes moved between it and his long strides as they walked through the unfamiliar place.

"When can I see Mama?" she asked after a minute, a yawn suddenly escaping her throat.

"When we get upstairs," her father answered softly.

The next minutes were a blur even more new and confusing than the gift shop as they stepped into a small room like a closet but with railings on the walls. The doors that had slid open similar to those in the lairs had cooled behind them, and her father pushed one of many numbered buttons on a metal panel.

'Elevator' was the word she was turning over in her mind but couldn't quite grasp amid her father trying to explain it while the floor seemed to move. Her father's cell phone suddenly ringing didn't help matters either.

"Hello, Mother? Right now? Okay, we're in the elevator."

The cell phone was flipped closed, pocketed, and then suddenly the train in Abby's hands was taken away and before she could process it she was being held under her father's arm.

"You'll have to wait with Grandma for a little while, sweetie. Mama is having the baby now."

"But you said when we got upstairs..." Abby protested quietly, unable to remember the last time she had seen her mother.

"I know, but the hospital won't let you in while the baby is being born."

The elevator doors slid open and revealed a new hallway with lots of sounds and people moving through it. Abby watched all of it in her distraction, taking in the new environment until the familiar red hair of her grandmother caught her eye.

"Oh, Drew! She's at ten, and the doctor is in such a hurry, you might miss it!"

"Take Abby," the toddler felt her father's voice above her as her grandmother took her in her arms. She watched the train being placed in the chair next to her grandmother, and then with the sound of a door opening and closing, her father was gone.

"What did you buy for your new baby brother Abigail?"

The familiar voice of her grandmother calmed the small girl's nerves, and she picked up the heavy object with hydrangeas planted in it to show off.

"A train. These are Mama's favorite flowers."

Her grandmother smiled, the corners of her eyes crinkling behind her green-tinted glasses.

"That's wonderful! You're so smart, my Abigail!"

Her black curls were ruffled, and she peered past her grandmother at the door she guessed her father had vanished through.

"When do I get to see the baby?"

"He isn't born yet. And we might still have to wait awhile after that." Abby found herself tucked against the softness of her grandmother and encouraged to lay her head against her chest. "You should try to take a nap, sweetie."

A nap was the last thing that Abby wanted, but she let her questions still as there were too many and she didn't quite have the words for them. She didn't understand why she hadn't seen her mother in so long, and why she couldn't now when it had been promised.

A sudden scream in a familiar voice startled Abby in her grandmother's lap. She found herself being placed on her feet, her grandmother taking her hand and standing up, and beginning to pull her away from the door and the chair where her baby brother's train still sat.

"Let's go for a walk," her grandmother said. Abby watched anxiously as the door and the train grew further away in her sight.

* * *

"You did this to me! I hate you!"

Drakken only smiled as his wife's sharp fingernails dug into the back of his hand. It was a familiar picture, except the first time there had been no angry declarations. Only anxious tears, when even to the last minute they hadn't been certain everything would be okay. But they had been, and this time Shego had been more willing to undergo tests to make sure nothing went wrong along the way. They expected a healthy baby boy to make his entrance into the world...very soon, given the doctor's apparent hurry.

His free hand brushed Shego's hair off of her sweaty brow as she continued to scream. He would probably have bleeding nail marks in his other like the last time, but it was a small price to pay. With the demands of the doctor that she push, and his own softer encouragements earning only enraged glares and demands he shut up, he knew it wouldn't be long before he met his son.

Finally, with a long ear-piercing scream that gave way to gasps, the familiar cries of an infant rang through the room as Shego collapsed back into the hospital bed. Drakken placed a lingering kiss on Shego's temple, not moving until the wrapped baby was placed on her chest. She finally released her death grip on his hand to cradle the small bundle and he looked between her almost delirious face and the small, crying one of their son.

Her happy gasps brought tears of joy, and when their eyes met he couldn't stop his own from flowing as well. She gave him a knowing look, and their smiling lips met in a kiss as his hand covered hers at the back of the baby's head.

* * *

Abby woke up to her father gently shaking her shoulder and calling her name.

"Abby Joy? Come meet your baby brother," he said softly, a huge happy smile on his face.

She stretched in grandmother's arms and found herself in her father's a moment later, and she relaxed tiredly into his embrace.

"Do I get to see Mama?"

"Yes, she's here too."

They walked the halls back to where the door and the train were, and Abby was glad to see her grandmother pick up the object with flowers planted inside. And then the mysterious door was opened.

Abby ignored the other people wearing blue, the large machines, and the sounds that came from them for the familiar sight of her mother smiling.

"Mama!" she called, lifting her head from her father's shoulder.

"Hi AJ," her mother said. Her voice sounded tired. "I missed you."

Abby looked briefly at the unfamiliar shirt her mother wore, but her eyes were drawn to the bundle that she held.

"Is that the baby?" she asked as her father walked her around the bed.

"Yes. This is your brother, Drew Jr.," her mother said.

Abby peered down from her father's arms and saw a reddish-pink wrinkled face. At least she thought it was a face. It definitely had a nose, and the eyes were closed and didn't seem to have lashes. But there were dark eyebrows and some small, dark hairs on the head under the blanket.

She wasn't quite sure what to make of her baby brother.

"Can I play with him?"

"Not yet," her father said above her.

"He's beautiful, Shego!" Abby's grandmother said.

"Thanks, Mom."

"Mama," Abby said, suddenly remembering, "we bought a present for the baby."

Her small arms reached for the train, but her grandmother moved closer to present the object.

"It's a blue train, because he's a boy, and it has your favorite flowers!"

"I love it AJ," her mother said with a yawn.

"Mother." Abby turned her gaze up to her father's chin at hearing his familiar tone. "I think you and Abby should get some sleep."

"I wanna stay with Mama!" Abby cried.

"I know sweetie," her father addressed her, "but Mama is very tired and has to stay in the hospital tonight. You and Grandma get some sleep, and when you wake up, Mama and me and your baby brother will be there."

"Drew Jr.," her mother corrected. Abby watched her father blush.

She whimpered in protest as she was handed off to her grandmother, the train left on the large windowsill of the hospital room. But a yawn left her mouth seconds after she saw another one leave her mother's. Her head sank to her grandmother's shoulder, and she watched the smiles of her parents until the door closed.

* * *

"He's perfect!" Drakken said in a gleeful hush, his index finger lightly rubbing the tiny ones of the baby in Shego's arms. Suddenly, Shego's hand grabbed his and she stared at the small row of cuts on the back.

"Oh...I'm so sorry!" she said, looking up at him anxiously.

The cuts stung, but nothing could wipe the smile from his face. "It's all right."

He pulled one of the visitor chairs up next to the bed and sat, leaning on his elbow on the mattress and moving nearer the small, sleeping form on Shego's chest. His eyes moved up to his wife's face as she yawned again.

"It's almost midnight. Go ahead and sleep."

"I want to look at him..." Shego protested softly.

Drakken's smile grew. "Me too."

He folded his arm and lay his head down atop it on the mattress, one hand lain across the baby while Shego held his other with the cuts. He watched her eyes begin to slip closed, and then she suddenly startled and looked down at him.

"Oh... I don't hate you," she said, her cheeks coloring.

He grinned. "I know."

"I actually...wouldn't mind you 'doing this to me' again," she said shyly, a question in her eyes as a small smirk reached her lips.

Drakken's eyes sparkled as he gazed back at her and his grin broadened further. A yawn of his own escaped his lips after the long day at the hospital, and he set his eyes back on the sleeping newborn on Shego's chest. He listened as Shego's breathing evened, signaling her slipping away into sleep. And as he stared at their infant child and thought of their daughter headed home with his mother, he couldn't imagine life being any more perfect.


	21. Level-Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy birthday Eclipsing-Dreams!

Drakken stared at the large TV screen, sitting so far forward on the sofa he would fall off if he flinched. The game controller was clenched tightly in his hands as he slammed his aching thumb against the joystick and his index finger against the trigger, firing at the zombies onscreen. He would have remained lost in the imaginary world if not for the sudden voice in his ear.

"Whatcha doing, Dr. D.?"

"AAHHH!" Drakken cried, the controller flying out of his hands as he slid off the couch and hit the floor with a bump. "Shego!"

"Zombies?"

Drakken whirled around, blinking to refocus on his side-kick standing above him with one eyebrow quirked.

"You made me die!"

Shego was unperturbed, simply setting her hands on her hips and quirking her other eyebrow.

"Why you waste your time with this..." she answered, shaking her head.

Drakken scowled and climbed back on the sofa, grabbing the controller to re-set his game.

"If you ever gave it a try you'd see how fun it is," he grumbled in reply.

The next thing he knew Shego was sitting next to him, staring at the screen. He leaned away and blinked at her in surprise, as if a stranger had sat beside him.

"What's the choice of weapons?" Shego asked.

* * *

"Shego, stop killing me!" Drakken whined, dropping his controller on the couch.

"I told you you could turn off friendly fire," Shego answered cheerily with a smirk.

Drakken picked up the controller as he mimicked her answer, shoving himself into the back of the sofa. His character re-spawned and he raced back into the fray alongside Shego's character, shooting at the zombies swarming towards them.

Shego mowed down the un-dead enemies, a grin on her face at the sound of the machine gun's retort. Drakken fired his ray gun but couldn't target the enemies as fast as Shego.

"You need me to unlock another power-up for you?" Shego asked, casting a glance toward Drakken.

His frown deepened as he ignored her and tried to continue taking out their un-dead enemies. But the horde was too much and it was only minutes before his character lay dead on the ground again.

"Shego! Come revive me!" he whined.

"Again!?" Shego complained as she continued fighting off the zombies. "Sheesh, you're no help at all. I thought you game a lot."

Drakken dropped the controller again. "You...just—" he sputtered, "fight them off on your own!"

"Hey, you said you'd never made it to level sixteen before!"

Drakken stood up with a frown. "I didn't know I would be dying every other minute!"

"Hey, it's not my fault you can't aim!" Shego said, pausing the game to glare at him.

Drakken stepped over the cord of Shego's controller on his way out of the room, grumbling about his personal high score and being shown-up.

"I'll be in the lab if you decide you've had enough fun humiliating me."

Shego rolled her eyes and continued shooting at the characters on the screen, the wanton violence calming her nerves. But after a few minutes she realized...it wasn't quite as fun without Drakken screaming in fear and laughing giddily next to her.

She frowned and saved the game so Drakken wouldn't lose the weapons she had unlocked for him and stood up to leave. But as she was about to turn off the game she paused, looking at the score screen. She had over 200,000 points. Drakken had only earned about 17,000.

Shego sat down and picked up Drakken's controller and continued to play, watching as his score rapidly began to rise. She sighed, and smiled.


	22. Chilly

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well, I hit severe writer's block and I'm trying to force things out now. This is an excerpt from a longer fic that otherwise is just in my head. This is rated M. I repeat, this is rated M for mature content!

__

**Chilly**

The icy chill of the morning air over her cheeks was what caused Shego to wake. As she blinked into the gray light the air even chilled the surface of her eyeballs, and she hastily closed her lids over them again. It even seemed that her eyelashes were cold, and she wondered what the temperature of the air was.

She couldn't feel the end of her nose for how chilled it was, and she pressed it into Drakken's chest where he still slept soundly. Her shoulder was cold too, and she slid her fingers out into the icy air to tug the blankets up higher, and then pulled her cold hair over her exposed cheek. Her teeth wanted to chatter in the chill that had woken her so early, but she clenched them in resistance. In addition to the cold, she was suddenly aware of how tired she was. She wasn't about to move her face to check the time on the small bedside alarm clock, but she was certain from the gray light that it was too early. Unless the light was simply a result of the storm clouds that had sent snow unrelentingly to the ground since the night before.

Whatever the reason, she only wanted to warm up and get back to sleep. She pressed nearer to Drakken and burrowed deeper beneath the blankets, her mind falling blank... Until it wasn't. Her ankle still throbbed from her fall the day before, and the coddling she had received from Drakken's mother wasn't helping the situation. She was already uncertain about the trip to Drakken's childhood home, but Estelle's fawning was too much for her on a regular day. Now that she wasn't able to walk, it would be even more-so. She hoped the hour was as early as it felt, because she hoped to stay in bed as long as possible to avoid the coming smothering.

Just then, Drakken shifted. She held still, hoping he would remain asleep and that she could enjoy at least another hour of peace. But his shifting continued and something hard and familiar pressed against her middle. Her face flushed despite herself; she should have been used to it, after over a year of being with him. But never knowing which mornings were going to produce that result caused her blush. Also, his continued shifting.

She remained still despite the heat that was flushing her face, like daggers against the chill of the air. But Drakken finally blinked tiredly and with a bit of disorientation into the guest room they were occupying. She watched him glance around to find his bearings before looking down at her. His brow furrowed lightly.

"You all right?" he asked through a yawn.

"Cold," she responded, the telltale chatter of her teeth betraying her.

His yawn settled into a mischievous grin. "Well, I know a foolproof way to warm up."

He slid over her and between her legs, his cold dry lips fastening to hers. Shego's breath caught at the intensity of the kiss, and she pulled the blankets up higher over Drakken's back and held them there with her arms around him. His fingers wove into her hair on either side of her head and he began trailing kisses over her cheek toward her ear. She glanced over at the alarm clock and saw that the time was just a trick of the cloud cover.

"We only have an hour before breakfast..." she said, gasping as he began sliding his clothed nether regions against hers with very deliberate purpose.

"We have an excuse..." he murmured, his breath gratefully hot against her skin. Her brow rose, but he continued. "I am spending quality time with my bride..."

Shego smirked. "I haven't been a bride for months."

"We never said the honeymoon was over..." he said, kissing the other side of her neck as one of his hands went between them to undo the buttons of her pajama shirt. His fingers were icy against her skin, and she shuddered.

"We took an entire month... Just how long do you want this honeymoon to last?"

He grinned happily at her before kissing down her chest. "Oh, at least a year..."

Shego chuckled. "If that's the case, you've been slacking some mornings."

Drakken leaned over on his side and she knew he was tugging off his bottoms. She held the blankets down over her bared chest, her skin already responding to the cold.

Drakken's grin grew more wicked. "Oh, I can remedy that."

She laughed as his head vanished beneath the blankets and then felt her own bottoms being removed. And then his warmth was gratefully covering her again as his hands and lips attended the flesh of her chest. She held the blankets up with one set of icy fingers, while the others moved to undo his shirt buttons. He wasn't wrong about this warming them up...

"But we only have an hour..." she protested practically. She had no basis for suspecting his mother would walk in on them, but it was a fear she had been wondering since before their arrival at the house.

"Mmh... If we're very loud, I think everyone will get the idea."

Shego's jaw dropped. "D-Drakken..." she stuttered from the cold, rather than shock.

"Besides, my mother would only be more excited over the prospect of—"

He stopped short, and suddenly intensified his attentions to her chest. She pulled the blankets higher, almost covering his head as her expression fell to melancholy.

Almost a full year of trying had resulted in nothing. And Drakken knew she dearly wanted a baby... He was the more optimistic of the two of them, as it was beginning to seem impossible to her. Their last conversation about it hadn't ended well, and he was trying not to bring it up anymore for her sake. It had been an honest slip in that moment, but the thought had been brought to the front her mind.

Of course, Drakken's increased amorousness was helpful in shifting the topic out of her thoughts. And she knew he was doing it to make her forget, and she was grateful.

He shifted and his foot bumped her injured ankle, and she hissed in pain. His eyes flew up to hers in worry.

"Sorry!"

"Mmh," she muttered, biting back the deeper hum at the pain the innocent bump had caused. "Come here."

His smile returned as his warmth fully covered her. She slid her arms under his shirt and around his back, and he shuddered at the touch of her icy fingers.

"You...going to leave your bride freezing like this?" she quipped, her lips still shaking from the chill.

His smile grew as he leaned on his elbows and his fingers wove into her hair again, one of his cool palms resting on her flushed cheek. He kissed her sweetly as he completed their union, and her breath caught. He really was right... Months later, and still each time was like they'd never left their honeymoon bed.

"Let me know when you're warm enough," he whispered.


	23. Come to Mama

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Just some fluff, for fluff's sake. Enjoy!

Drakken shifted uncomfortably to lean his full weight on one elbow and set his other arm over Shego's waist, moving closer to her where they both lay on their stomachs on the carpet. In front of them, their five-month-old baby was grinning as she occasionally made a move to scoot on her belly, limbs flailing and hitting the watermelon-patterned blanket she lay upon.

"Come to Mama," Shego encouraged softly, her palms open in front of her and her fingers beckoning as she beamed at the dark-haired child. The baby giggled all the more as Shego wiggled her fingers.

Drakken's fingers at Shego's back were tangling in her hair, and he frowned slightly as he found himself unable to extricate his fingers from the slight knots. He finally lifted her hair up in attempt to get loose, and his distraction was broken by the sudden loud giggling of his daughter.

Shego smirked and looked over her shoulder to where Drakken held some long, dark strands high in the air. Their eyes met and they looked to where their daughter was laughing and reaching a short limb upward toward the hair. Drakken grinned and draped the long strands over Shego's shoulder on the floor toward their daughter. She instantly began scooting on her belly, reminding Drakken of a seal as she bounced forward excitedly, reaching for her mother's hair.

"Come to Mama, Abby," Shego encouraged again, beckoning with her fingers. Drakken's smile grew as he watched their daughter's deep blue eyes move from the hair to her mother's face. The child's grin grew and she babbled as she moved straight to her mother's arms.

Shego scooped up the child and rolled onto her back, laughing right along as she held the giggling baby up above her face. Drakken rolled to his side and reached up to tickle Abby's belly, and the child giggled all the more.

Shego turned her face to look at Drakken's, her eyes bright with joy. His already broad smile grew so that his cheeks hurt. Their wordless exchange was punctuated by a long, warm kiss, and then Shego carefully placed the baby back on the blanket on her belly, and resumed her previous position on her stomach. Drakken put his arm around her waist again, kissing her temple before looking back to the baby.

"Come to Mama, Abby!" Shego said happily.


	24. Future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More fluff for fluff's sake because, why not!?

Shego pressed her back harder into Drakken's chest as a fresh wave of nausea took her. His warmth and arms surrounding her were a blessed comfort, as much as his hands gently and methodically rubbing her pregnant belly, only large enough now to confirm for any wondering eyes that yes, she was pregnant and not just fat.

She had long since tired of complaining about the ill feelings and wondering why they plagued her so much. This time was no different from the last, in that sense. And while it worried her greatly, she knew she couldn't stay in that headspace. Drakken had forbidden it, in fact. She almost smirked at the thought. He had forbidden worrying, as if it was something he had any control over, but it was the motive that counted. She knew it was part of why they were where they were, right then.

It had become a routine, that when the morning sickness became nearly unbearable, he would sit up in the bed and lean against the headboard, and she would snuggle against his back between his legs. Then she was gifted with the gentle rubbing of her belly, his warmth, his scent... All comforts that sometimes did little to actually cut through the nausea, but always shut down any attempts her mind might make at worry. Because somehow...she had the most wonderful husband in the universe.

Sometimes the sickness would abate enough that she fell asleep in his arms, and she would wake up to the security of his warm embrace; it assured her even more. Sometimes he would fall asleep too, and other times she would wake to find him mentally plotting something, but still gently rubbing her belly as if it was the most important occupation he could attend to.

Yes, she had the most wonderful husband in the universe.

Suddenly she felt the slight purr of his chest as he began to hum, the melody unfamiliar to her as the sound almost absently left his lips. The song was slow, repetitive, and soothing. His hands rubbing her belly slowed to match the rhythm of the song.

She shifted where her face was nestled into his cheek, her hair catching on his lips before she reached up to brush it aside.

"What's that?" she asked softly.

"Hnn... Something my father used to sing to my mother," he answered, barely meeting her eyes. She wondered if he was plotting something.

"I don't know it," she said. His eyes finally focused to meet hers.

"I've...never actually listened to the song, but it might be called 'Surfer Girl.' My mother used to tease him that it...made no sense."

Shego thought for a moment. "Why haven't you listened to it?"

Drakken's eyes glazed over briefly. "It's one of my only memories of my father. I want to remember his voice."

Shego nodded with a thoughtful smile as she tilted her head back on his shoulder, and his humming resumed. She rested her arms atop his and laced her fingers between his as he continued rubbing her belly, and she simply listened to the soothing melody. It was almost like a lullaby, and yet not. After several minutes, Drakken let a few of the words softly escape his lips.

_"Do you love me, do you, Surfer Girl..."_

Shego smiled softly as she thought of their own child someday listening to their father sing... Perhaps their baby's first memories would be of his voice singing love songs around the lair, and her teasing him to stop. It was an amusing yet sweet parallel.

She tilted her head up to kiss his jaw, and he glanced at her with an adoring smile. Something about the look sent a desperate desire rushing through her, and after scarecely a moment of thought, she surprised him by turning around and straddling his legs, her taut belly pressing into his soft one. She set her hands on his shoulders as she kissed him, and he met the soft touch with equal tenderness.

When she pulled away there was an unmistakable question in his eyes: 'sex?' Ordinarily it would make her smirk or laugh, but due to her devastating morning sickness she couldn't treat the question flippantly. She'd lost track of how many weeks it had been since their last failed attempt that had ended with her bending over a bucket.

She was still worried about that. But her heart was making her body's decisions, and she answered his question with another warm and gentle kiss. She smiled as she could feel the excitement run through him at the sudden tensing of all his muscles, and her expression only broadened as his arms held her and then carefully lay her down, moving a pillow beneath her head and then setting her hair to the side where it hopefully wouldn't get tangled.

She set her hands over her churning stomach as she smiled at him, watching his excitement as he hastily disrobed. She knew he would treat her with the same tender care in this as he had done simply rubbing her belly.

"Keep singing that song," she said.

He hesitated but a moment as he was about to relieve her of her clothing, and then smiled and began singing gain.

Shego listened to the song and her imaginings alternated between how she pictured the past, and her hope for the future: a small child, looking up and listening to their father's strong voice, love and happiness being one of the first and strongest memories the child stored.

_"Little surfer, little one..."_

That thought of joy was a further help in alleviating the morning sickness. And the second Drakken was over her, she wrapped her arms tightly around him, her smile so broad and happy he almost faltered in the song. But the soft melody continued as she stared into his eyes adoringly.

The sickness was only a present worry, she knew, as difficult as it was... But the future... As Drakken stared back at her with nothing but love, she knew that their child's future held nothing to worry about.


	25. Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: More short fluffy stuff. Warning - this one is rated M. Mild spice, but still.

Drakken checked his watch as the chemicals spun in the centrifuge in front of him. It was ten minutes to five... Which meant he had ten minutes to dress before it was time for he and Shego to leave for their date. But the cycle was almost complete, and he needed to see if his theory was correct, or if it was another bust. That was all, and then he would put the work on hold until the following day.

The centrifuge stopped as a small timer went off, and he quickly grabbed the test tubes of emulsified compounds and stuck a pipette into the first. He deftly piped the liquid onto the waiting slide and slid it under the microscope. As he adjusted the focus his eyes narrowed and then widened. The two chemicals should not have combined in that way. Had something gone wrong?

He grabbed another test tube and repeated the procedure, only to find the same result.

"But...that's not possible..."

* * *

Shego leaned against the side of the hover-car, shivering. She pulled her wrap around her more closely as she checked her watch again with a grimace. It was five-thirty. She grimaced and after a few more minutes of indecision, sighed and pushed off of the place she had been leaning. He had lost track of time...again.

She considered storming down to the lab and berating him, but that wouldn't allow for any salvaging of their date. They would lose their dinner reservation if they didn't leave in fifteen minutes anyway, and there was no way Drakken could be ready in time. The argument wouldn't be worth it...

Back inside, instead of heading to the lab she simply went back to her room and took her shoes and wrap off before flopping on the bed. She understood Drakken forgetting, and yet she didn't. He had been very excited about the evening and had been rambling about the exclusive restaurant he was taking her to for weeks. Apparently getting a reservation there was next to impossible. So what was so important that he would forget?

With a scoff of frustration she finally got up to head down to the lab. As far as she was concerned, anything less than the cure for cancer wasn't worth being stood up again.

When she arrived and the doors slid open, it was no surprise to her to find Drakken muttering to himself as he moved almost frantically about his workbench, alternating between looking in a microscope and hurriedly scribbling notes on a piece of paper. Shego opened her mouth to speak, but then Drakken let out a growl of frustration and gripped his hair with both hands, yanking on it before dragging his hands down his face and going back to the microscope.

"It makes no sense!"

Shego's expression softened as she realized it wasn't a mere forgetting of the time, but something else... Something unexpected. She watched for a few more minutes as Drakken continued his mutterings and frantic scribbling before he set a row of test tubes into a centrifuge and started it running. She frowned and turned to leave the lab.

The evening was most definitely not going to be salvaged... But, Shego smirked as she realized, it didn't mean they couldn't still have a date night.

* * *

Drakken watched the centrifuge spin, sitting heavily in his chair and rubbing his eyes. He was finally, finally close to figuring out where the formula had shifted from what was projected on paper to what actually came out in the testing. As he yawned he realized he was tired...and then his chest seized in fear.

He frantically looked at his watch, remembering needing to be ready for the date with Shego.

Two-forty-three.

His lips parted in a silent gasp as he stared at the time, willing it to be an illusion. But it didn't change. He looked up at the centrifuge, spinning away, and then back to his watch. With a pained growl he shoved away from the desk in his rolling chair, and then rose and rushed for the door.

* * *

Shego was startled awake by the hurried opening of the bedroom door, and she blinked sleepily and smiled softly in amusement at Drakken's anxious expression.

"Shego, I... I'm so sorry," he said breathlessly. "I didn't forget, I... It's just..."

Shego sat up and stretched, and Drakken paused in his rambling as he noticed her attire. She was wearing a sheer black negligee, excepting that most of the sheer places were hidden by a pattern of velvet royal blue flowers, vines, and leaves. Drakken fell speechless as she posed demurely and gave him a come-hither look.

"Shego, you're...you're not mad? About tonight?"

"Last night, actually," she said.

Drakken's eyes widened before his face fell in shame. But he looked up as Shego chuckled.

"You missed me hanging out in the lab in this, since I didn't know when you were gonna snap out of it."

"What...but...? Shego... Why aren't you upset?"

Shego lifted her hands and beckoned him forward, and he complied.

"I didn't say I wasn't. I'll pretend you blew me off to cure cancer. But that excuse only works once," she said. "Now take your coat off."

Drakken complied, watching as Shego leaned over to the small fridge he kept by his bedside and pulled out a prepared plastic-wrapped plate of delicacies.

"It's not that fancy place you were gonna take me, but it's something."

Drakken stood next to the bed in some confusion as Shego began laying out the appetizers she had prepared, and when he didn't move she smirked up at him.

"How about you put on something more comfortable?" she said softly, biting her lip as her cheeks flushed in spite of herself.

She watched Drakken's confusion turn to a devious grin.

"How about nothing?" he said with a less-than-subtle growl.

Shego smirked, but shook her head. "Gotta have dinner before dessert."

* * *

A few minutes later found Drakken wearing his plush blue bathrobe, sitting cross-legged on the bed and popping individual cheese and grape appetizers into his mouth. Shego was kneeling behind him, massaging his shoulders slowly. Drakken pressed gratefully into her touch as he ate the decadent morsels with his eyes closed.

"Shego..." he fairly slurred after several minutes. Shego was glad she'd decided against wine; he was tired enough from two days awake in the lab. "I still...don't understand why you're not mad at me..."

She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "Because... I love you."

The small bite Drakken had been about to eat was dropped back into the plate as he turned and grabbed her shoulders, hesitating but a moment to look into her eyes before pulling her into a powerful kiss. Shego's breath caught and her head swam at the passion... But she pulled away, to his dismay, resumed massaging his shoulders.

"Dinner before dessert, remember?" she said with a smirk.

Drakken turned back to the tray where he had nearly finished the cheese and fruit and had been ignoring the vegetables.

"Says who..." he grumbled.

"Says the one offering the dessert," she chuckled. "So eat up. I already ate, and I want my dessert too."

Shego continued massaging his shoulders as he ate the small but diverse plate she had put together for him. His neck and shoulders were extremely tense, and she was curious about the work that had pulled him away from the date he had planned so extensively for, But she wanted him to relax, so questions about that could wait.

She knew he was hungry due to his lack of protesting and his making quick work of the plate. When it was nearly finished off she finally felt his tension start to fall, made more obvious by his leaning into her. She settled down behind him, her legs folded and her knees on other side of his hips as she set her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. She held him tight with one hand while her other slipped into his robe and rubbed his chest in long, broad strokes.

"Shego?" he began a bit anxiously. "I'm sorry. I—"

"Shhh... We're having a lovely date right now," she said softly.

Her words were enough, and he rested against her as he drank the large glass of juice that accompanied the tray of food. Then he pushed all of it aside, off of the bed and onto the nightstand.

Shego nestled her cheek against his. "Ready for dessert?"

Drakken hummed in reply, and she moved the hand that had been gripping his shoulder down inside his robe. She slid her hand below the belt, to where he had taken his boxers off in anticipation. He grinned as she began a very different kind of massage.

He leaned more heavily against her as she attended him, earning hums and hisses for her gentle and well-practiced efforts. After a few minutes, his weight became a bit painful and she shifted and indicated for him to lay down. He blinked at her, and the tiredness she saw in his eyes offered a different story than the warmth within her hand was telling as he complied.

She lay down next to him and half lay on his chest, tossing his robe open just enough so she could see what she was working with. Drakken's arms surrounded her loosely and his fingers pressed lightly against her hip. His eyes remained closed. She smiled softly as she realized dessert was going to be delayed for at least several hours.

With her free hand she lightly stroked his cheek, while her already occupied one moved more gently. She watched the lines on his face begin to smooth, and she let the fingers caressing his cheek travel up to his hairline. She gradually ceased her actions below his belt and instead swirled her fingers in the dark hairs below his bellybutton, and then ran her hand up and down his middle in slow strokes.

She lessened this touch as well as Drakken's breathing had already slowed, and when his hand began to slip from her waist she caught it and set it on his chest. She closed his robe and curled against him, using her toes to pull the bed sheet up over their legs slightly before laying her leg across him. She smiled as she turned out the lights, content to join him in sleep. She didn't need a fancy date, or a wild evening... All she ever wanted was him.


	26. Bedtime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Another tiny fluff, for fluff's sake. Enjoy my silly headcanons!

**Bedtime**

Shego grinned from her spot on the bed, her six-week-old son nestled in her arms and falling asleep as she nursed him. Across the room, Drakken sat hunched forward in the easy chair, a blow-dryer in hand and a comb held between his lips. On the floor, their young pajama-clad daughter sat between his knees, grinning and giggling.

Shego watched as Drakken purposely blew their daughter's hair forward over her face, his fingers raking through her dark hair and massaging her scalp. Abby kept leaning forward to laugh as her hair was moved to block her view, but it didn't deter her father's antics. Shego smiled at the pair as Drakken, finally satisfied, turned off the blow-dryer.

"There! All dry," he declared softly as he began combing Abby's hair straight down all around her head.

"Daddy! I can't see!"

Shego's grin broadened. It was a typical routine, that Drakken would comb the toddler's hair into her face and pretend to have no idea what she was talking about. And then they would come to show her, as if she'd not been present for the entire play, and she would act surprised and 'wonder where Abby went.'

It wasn't the sort of future she had ever envisioned for herself.

As her son unlatched, having fallen deeply asleep, she re-buttoned the front of her nightdress and then rose to place the sleeping baby in the crib.

"Mama! Mama, look!" Abby called with a suppressed giggle. Shego glanced over with a smirk to see the familiar sight of her daughter's waves having been straightened by the blow-dryer and combed down around her face like a black curtain.

Shego looked up to her husband's face, where his smirk matched hers. She gave a playful roll of her eyes as she tucked the baby in.

"Abby Joy? Where are you?"

The girl sometimes had the patience to draw the play out, but it wasn't one of those nights as she parted her hair and ran full into her mother's legs, giving her a strong hug.

"Oh there you are!" she said, smiling as Abby pushed her hair back again to look up at her mother. She brought her gaze higher as Drakken approached with the comb, kneeling down to fix the girl's hair.

"Daddy says my hair might be as long as yours someday," Abby declared happily as her blue eyes were revealed beneath the dark curtain.

"Your daddy likes long hair," Shego commented. Abby's hair was only just hitting her shoulders, but Shego wondered if she would have to have a talk with the two of them about the practicality of long hair on a small child.

"All right, time for bed," Drakken said, picking up their daughter having finished with her hair. Shego smiled again, her heart always warmed by how softly he spoke to their children. It was a stark contrast to his norm, but the change was a testament to his deep love for their children. He treated them like they were his whole world.

Drakken was about to depart to put their daughter to bed, but Shego halted him by sliding her fingers into his hair. His brow rose, but he leaned forward happily into her kiss.

"Why are you always kissing?" Abby complained from between them, and Shego smiled into the caress of her husband's lips. She couldn't help the chuckle of happiness that hummed from her throat as he pulled away, his dark eyes sparkling with love.

"Because we love each other," Shego said simply, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Sweet dreams, AJ."

Drakken's smile faltered, but only slightly as he turned to leave the room. Shego waited until they were gone before looking back to their son and softly stroking his cheek. After a moment she leaned down to kiss his forehead.

"We love you so much," she murmured.


	27. Gifts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Have a random tiny fic, because I'm trying to escape writer's block. This was smashed out in thirty minutes. Not so much a headcanon as it just a cute idea. This takes place in season 3.

**Gifts**

Shego slung her bag over her shoulder as she headed down the stairs. A couple of weeks in Barbados were the plan to close out the year and welcome the new one. All that was left before leaving the lair was to give Drakken the card she'd bought him. She'd done it on a whim, but he'd been so nice to her the year before in paying for her entire spa package, it seemed fitting to do a little something.

She found Drakken in the den, as she expected. What she hadn't expected was the small decorated tree next to the fireplace. She paused and studied the room. Garlands and strings of berries adorned bookshelves, and there was even a sprig of mistletoe hung on the lowest part of the cave ceiling. Shego raised an eyebrow and settled her gaze on the backside of the blue man who was setting a package beneath the surprisingly simple tree.

"Kind of sad to just decorate for one, isn't it?"

"Shego!" Drakken jumped, his head and face scraping against the tree and knocking a glass bauble to the ground where it rolled toward the fireplace.

Shego chuckled as she approached him, the small card in her hand at her side. She was about to make another quip about being alone for Christmas, when her gaze drifted to the mantle of the fireplace. Next to the knitted blue stocking with his name, complete with prefix, was a matching stocking in green with her name.

"Oh..." Drakken said as he rubbed his face, having replaced the bauble. He was looking at the bag slung over her shoulder. "Oh."

She watched the emotions play across his face in a quick sequence. Embarrassment was rapidly replaced by disappointment, which was then shuttered up behind a thin veil of indifference.

"Will you be needing the hover car?" Drakken asked, stepping quickly past her and sitting behind his desk.

Shego watched as he pulled a blueprint from a drawer, his brow furrowed before he even unrolled it. She looked back to the tree, beneath which sat a large and brightly wrapped package. She looked at the stockings again, the one with her name already bearing a slight bulge for its contents.

Then she looked at the small, generic card in her hand. 'Happy Holidays' it read on the front in red cursive, against the blank white background. And on the equally blank inside she had written 'Merry Christmas' and signed her name.

She looked back to where Drakken was staring down, but his eyes were glazed over, clearly not studying the blueprint at all. He probably didn't even remember he'd asked her a question.

She tucked the card into her bag and then tossed it on her usual chair, glancing at the moat as she took a few steps back.

"Actually..."

Drakken startled at her words and looked up, his eyes clouding before the mask snapped back into place. She took a breath before continuing and beckoned him forward.

"I was thinking of spending a few days around here before I head out."

Drakken's brow rose in surprise.

"Here...?" he asked, completely dumbstruck. He rose at Shego's beckoning and approached her.

"Yeah, well... Can't exactly give you your Christmas present if I'm somewhere else."

Drakken had nearly reached her, but she took the initiative to reach forward and take him by the shoulders, closing the distance between them. His expression was confused and mildly annoyed until she directed her gaze upward. He followed, and then his eyes widened as he saw the mistletoe. That was all the time she gave him before kissing him.

She had intended it to be nothing more than a brief surprise to break him out of his melancholy. But she let her lips linger on his and was pleasantly thrilled by the simple touch that he only had the courage to return in the last few seconds. But when she leaned away he looked like he definitely wouldn't have minded the moment lasting longer.

"And that's only your first present," she said with a smirk.

"First...?"

"Well, you made me that stocking right?"

Drakken nodded.

"And I assume that box under the tree is for me?"

He nodded again.

"Then I've got a stocking to fill and another gift to get you."

Drakken's expression bloomed into warmth. "You're...not leaving?"

Shego shrugged. "Not for a few days," she said with a smile.

Drakken's face fell and then a moment later grew devious.

"I only got you two presents, but..."

Shego realized his intent then as his hands found her waist, and she was surprised to find herself blush. She realized with even more confusion that her hands were still on his shoulders.

"I know how to remedy that," he said with a grin, mischief in his eyes.

She returned the look, banishing the last of his sadness as their lips met again. And she wondered if sticking around the lair for the entire holiday wasn't such a bad idea after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Follow-up silly idea... Drakken and Shego leave up the mistletoe and then whenever they have an argument after this, they just kiss and make up. Heehee. I'll show myself out...
> 
> Thanks for reading, please review!


	28. Baking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I decided I wanted some baking fluff... Let's say this takes place very soon after Drakken and Shego get together as a couple.

****

**Baking**

Shego yawned and stretched as she padded silently to the kitchen in her slippers, not bothering to straighten her robe over her pajamas. A smile stretched tiredly across her face as she watched her husband bend over to pull a baking tray from the oven, his denim-clad backside presented to her as if on its own platter for her viewing pleasure. The pink apron that he wore over his button-up with shirt-sleeves rolled halfway up his forearms, only emphasized the attractiveness of his frame and served to hasten her approach. She grinned as a myriad of emotions washed sleepily through her mind.

* * *

Drakken set the first steaming tray of cakes on the waiting trivets and then adjusted his oven mitts before reaching down for the next tray. The scents rising amid the heat were all but intoxicating and he grinned smugly, quite pleased with the first success in the new dessert he was attempting. As he rose with the second tray and shifted to place it down, a hand sliding low on his hip startled him into a yelp and the tray slipped the few inches from his hands and clattered onto the trivets.

He stared at the cakes for a moment as they slid in their rounds atop the tray, gasping for breath as he realized that all was well. No damage had been done and he hadn't been burned.

"Shego..." he breathed in mild annoyance. Even married, she still snuck up on him and startled him. Her hands had circled his waist and she was leaning into his back, her head resting between his shoulder blades.

"What's on the stove?" she asked.

Drakken looked down to the pans simmering on the burners. He felt Shego's chin creep up to rest atop his shoulder.

"I'm poaching pears... It's going to be a rustic ginger and poached pear layer cake with cream cheese frosting," he explained with a satisfied smile. "I'll garnish the top with a halved whole pear and candied ginger, and these sliced pears will go between the layers..."

He trailed off as Shego's hands felt under his apron, one sliding up his chest and the other resting comfortably around his midsection.

"It smells delicious," she said softly, and he noted the air of tiredness in her voice.

"I need to get the cakes out to cool," he said, eyeing the four steaming rounds on the trays.

Shego's arms only tightened around him as she snuggled more securely against his back. Drakken smiled softly and slid his hands beneath his apron to cover her hand over his heart.

"Did you have something you wanted to do this morning?" he asked with a slight smirk, curious to her motives.

Her only response was a long hum of contentment as she moved her head back to rest between his shoulder blades. Drakken frowned for a moment, growing frustrated at both the contact and how restricting her presence was. He was suddenly aware of the feeling of his clothing against his body and had to fight the instinct to shrug out of her grasp. Instead he took a deep breath, inhaling the warm scents of ginger and pear, and focused instead on Shego's contours against him. After a long moment he shuffled to the counter, smirking in a mix of mild annoyance and amusement at her determination to hold onto him.

He began carefully removing the cakes from the pans, which was easy enough with Shego embracing him until he had to move from the spot. Then it was another awkward and slow shuffle that caused his brow to furrow as he got the cakes into the fridge.

"If the cakes have to cool, why are you doing the pears now?" Shego asked suddenly, her chest vibrating gently against his back as she spoke.

"Because..." he said with mild impatience as he moved back to the stove, "they'll have to cool as well. And I'll use the juice for a reduction to drizzle between the layers and over the top. I'll want the frosting to cool as well."

"Mmh, what kind of frosting?" Shego asked, her chin creeping up to his shoulder again. He turned to meet her eyes and immediately smiled. There was nothing but happiness in her face, and the mild discomfort he felt at her closeness melted away. He set his hands over hers again and her smile broadened.

"Cream cheese, I said," he answered seconds later as he realized he'd become distracted looking at her. Her slightly sleep-swollen eyes, her mussed hair, and her soft green lips smiling at him were enough to make him forget every other distraction of the moment he might have imagined. If not for the scent of the pears cooking, he might have even forgotten where they were.

She was ready and eager when he turned, and their lips met only briefly before her head was on his shoulder and his cheek rested against her hair as they slid into a warm, close embrace. Drakken let go any last lingering thoughts of annoyance as he relaxed into her arms. And even if her motive had originally been to bother him, he didn't care anymore. Her present motive was clear as she nestled against him, making him rethink the early morning he'd chosen to start baking. Perhaps it wasn't too late yet to cozy up under some blankets...

"What is the cake for?" Shego asked softly.

"Practice. I want to bake this one when we go to Mother's, but I've never made it before."

Shego tilted her head up slightly, her smile still broad.

"Why not bake something familiar?"

Drakken's brow furrowed slightly. "Because...I want Mother to know I've not been idle."

Shego peered at him more closely. "What do you mean idle?"

Drakken pursed his lips thoughtfully and glanced at the stove. He reluctantly let go of her, and she released him to watch as he turned the burner off under the pears. When he turned back her gaze was curious, and he reached for her first.

With an arm around each other's waists and their other hands held with fingers laced between them, they walked side by side out of the kitchen. Drakken wondered if Shego would like them to crawl back into bed, but she steered them toward the living room and so it was moments later that they were snuggled on the sofa, she curled in his lap with her robe covering them both like a blanket.

"Mother and I used to experiment and create new recipes..." Drakken explained. "We continued when I left for college, and sometimes...we would even bake while on the phone. But...after I started my 'radio career'..."

He trailed off, and where he had expected a smirk from Shego instead he received a look of sympathetic understanding.

"We've only exchanged a few new recipes over the years. But now... We wanted to start doing that again. It's been over twenty years since we...did a proper experiment. We would decide, a new cake for one week. Cookies the next... Improve upon banana bread another..."

He had gestured idly as he explained, but he stopped as he realized Shego was stroking his jaw.

"I get to eat some of these experiments, right?" she said softly.

"Yes... Anything you like," he said, studying her content expression again. She looked so dreamy he worried suddenly she might have been exposed to some toxic chemical. "Shego...are you okay? What have you done this morning?"

"Woke up... Missed you..." She snuggled closer and set her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "And now I don't."

Drakken felt mildly uncomfortable again, trapped beneath her as he was. But he shoved the feeling aside and instead rested his head against hers. If that was all it was... Simply a rare moment of pure affection from his wife... He wasn't going to complain about it. In fact, it might warrant another experiment...

He kissed her temple, and then followed it with a trail of slow, soft kisses up along her hairline. He watched her smile grow until she finally opened her eyes briefly before meeting his lips with hers, the touch warm and full of love.

 _'Yes,'_ he thought to himself as her fingers wove into his hair and they shifted to lay down on the sofa. _'A worthy experiment.'_


	29. Next Steps

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm really good at posting randomness and AU's, and really bad at posting actual headcanon fic... Well, this is a headcanon fic! It takes place after my huge fic, "[There's Christmas--and Christmas](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13469096/1/There-s-Christmas-and-Christmas)," but there's still a gap of missing information...which I will write and publish at some point. 
> 
> Mostly I wrote this ~~to annoysplit-n-splice~~ to cheer up a friend, and, it's always good to get more headcanon stuff out there!
> 
> This is short and bittersweet, and will hopefully leave you with lots of questions and wanting more. Enjoy!

* * *

**Next Steps**

Shego fiddled with her necklace as she sat slumped on the couch, a frown on her face. She shifted uncomfortably as the dark nylons she wore rode up her backside, but not so much that she sat up to adjust the garment. Rather, she simply couldn't find the drive to do so. She did tug the hem of her berry-red skirt down however as it slid too high in her shifting, and she set her high-heel clad feet upon the coffee table as she sighed.

"Shego? Oh there you—"

His words halted abruptly from off to her left. When the silence continued for several seconds she finally turned, rolling her eyes dramatically.

"What?"

Her brow rose. She wasn't sure what she'd expected, but seeing her husband-to-be clad in a well-tailored black suit interrupted her distracted thoughts long enough that she forgot the rest of the quip she'd been about to level at him.

"You...look beautiful," was what Drakken managed a moment later while Shego was still blinking at his masculine form.

She glanced down to the rumples in her dress from where she still sat slumped, her hair likely a mess from where she'd leaned it against the sofa arm.

"Feel like a skewered pig."

Drakken blinked out of his daze and his brow twisted slightly as he moved to sit across from her on the coffee table, lifting her feet into his lap once he had done so. Shego looked at his familiarly concerned expression, and a fresh spike of nausea entered her already-churning stomach. As he took a breath to speak likely what was becoming a routine question or platitude, she spoke first.

"Why are we doing this?"

Drakken's expression fell to confusion, and he lightly rubbed the tops of her feet, being careful of her nylons.

"Because I want to take my future bride out for a nice evening," he said softly.

Shego rolled her eyes.

"And," he added, his eyes traveling up her legs to the hem of her short red dress, "it's Valentine's Day."

Shego watched as his gaze lingered on her cleavage after observing crossed arms across her stomach in the off-the-shoulder dress. Only one corner of her mouth rose in a smirk.

"I'm too sick to go out," she said.

Drakken's expression faltered and he looked at her face in concern. Shego bit the inside of her lip. It was half-true, at least... She was all but used to the intense morning sickness after ten weeks.

"Maybe," she added with a sigh.

Drakken lightly rubbed the muscles of her calves, still minding the nylons.

"I thought you wanted an evening out... Especially because we haven't been out since—"

That time Drakken stopped himself, and Shego glanced away, uncrossing and re-crossing her arms. She didn't know which way she preferred it—him _not_ understanding her stress about living through a second comet-strike, or him finally figuring out the secondary excuse she'd been using to stay holed up in the lair. Although the morning sickness really was her primary motivation.

"Shego... Are...are you...?"

"No," she interrupted before he could say 'scared.' Her eyes narrowed as she glanced away to the other side of the room.

Drakken was silent for too long, and she finally turned her eyes back to him. His gaze was piercing, but asking nothing. She didn't like when he analyzed her like that... It made her feel too vulnerable. And yet...there was some part of her that wanted to crawl inside of the safety of that look... Or open herself up and let more of him in, somehow.

It was a nonsensical thought, and she pushed it away with another roll of her eyes. But then Drakken was moving to sit next to her on the sofa. He tucked her legs across his lap and set his arm around her, his fingers gripping her bare shoulder while his other hand took one of hers.

"I can cancel the reservation. And cook you dinner instead?"

Shego's stomach flipped for an entirely different reason. She internally cursed the hormonal mood swings that threatened to bring tears to her eyes as she looked into the depths of his kind, understanding ones.

"No..." she heard herself say through a sigh. "Let's go out."

Drakken rubbed her shoulder gently. "If you don't feel up to it..."

She fought the tears again as he gave her the escape, with no further questions being asked. He was too good to her... She paused and really considered. The nausea truly wasn't as bad, though it was ever-present. And she wasn't going to think about what had happened last time... But, he had been so looking forward to their date...

"You're right. We should go out. It'll be a start to making up for..."

She took a breath as she found she couldn't continue. Drakken's rubbing of her shoulder moved to her neck behind her hair. Her eyes fell to the engagement ring sparkling on her finger.

"And I can show off my brilliant...handsome, genius fiancé," she said through a shaky breath.

Drakken shifted closer to her, and she pressed into his warmth as her head found his shoulder.

"You deserve the world..." he said, his breath hot across her forehead. "But I can start with a proper date."

Shego looked up, a small smirk on her lips but warmth in her eyes.

"I thought I was your world."

Drakken's fingers moved to weave into her hair behind her head, while his others laced between her fingers.

"Only mine..." he breathed. "I still need to conquer this one to give to you."

"But then what can I give you?" she teased softly.

As Drakken leaned in to cover her mouth in a kiss, she finally let a few tears escape the corners of her eyes. But only a few; they were going out for Valentine's Day, and she didn't want to ruin her makeup.


	30. Everything

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to cope with something, and this came out. A little AU, not connected with anything else.

Everything

She stood on the stone balcony of the lair, the scarce moonlight revealing the vastness of the waters below as she hugged herself against the chill of the night air.

He was gone. Vanished.

He had been returning from a small caper to steal some computer chip or other, a final piece to his latest weapon. She hadn't gone with him because she was painting her nails.

He had called her on the way back, the theft having been a success. She had quipped that he didn't need her, and he had jokingly agreed. Then they had argued over whether or not to have steak or fish for dinner until she hung up in exasperation.

That had been two days ago.

When he'd not returned by dinner she'd tried calling, but his phone was dead. A few hours later she'd tried his tracking device, but no signal was found.

She'd told herself she wasn't worried, pushed all concern out of her head, and gone to bed. The next day she'd distracted herself in between pacing the lair and trying his phone and tracking device again every few hours, and eventually every hour. Finally, before the sun had set, she'd flown out over the ocean on her hover-board until she was forced to turn back for lack of fuel, even though she had no idea where to look. When she found nothing she had even considered calling Kim Possible, until realizing the teen had no greater power than she did.

She spent the next day pacing long into the night, until she finally let the reality break through every excuse she could conjure. There must have been an accident...

He was just...gone.

She was surprised when she burst into tears, and then a few minutes later she was mentally rolling her eyes at herself. Of course she was crying... He was everything to her. She wasn't sure what all 'everything' entailed, but...whatever it was, he was it.

Her eyes were still puffy and swollen as she looked out at the black waters on the nearly moonless night, wondering what had happened. Was he dead? Held prisoner? If the former, had it been quick, or had he suffered? If the latter, was he still suffering...?

She also selfishly wondered if he had known, just how much he meant to her... And she wondered if he had thought the same of her.

She wondered how long she would cry, but she had never let her emotions have such reign over her before. It felt like her heart would never be whole again. She'd not even realized so much of him had become part of her. And as her tears fell she resigned herself to the pain that was clenching her heart like a fist, holding tighter and bringing more darkness with every breath.

She wiped her eyes and turned to go back inside. And then she stopped short as in her mind, she heard his voice call her name as she had many times over the past few days. It rend her heart each time to hear it and realize a split second later it wasn't real. She sniffled and continued walking.

"Shego!"

She turned. It...had to be her imagination.

"Shego!"

He was running up the stone stairs along the cliff, bedraggled and panting. All the weight over her heart melted away as she gasped, and then her feet were moving ahead of her and she nearly tripped as she lunged toward him.

"Drakken!"

They nearly fell as she crashed into him, staggering until they both hit the wall, her arms tightly around him. When she felt him hesitantly return the embrace a moment later she pulled away and was shocked to discover she was kissing him. The dry, un-moving gesture lasted a few seconds until she pulled back entirely, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she took in his appearance.

He was unshaven, damp, and his coat dirtied and tattered. But his eyes were bright and alive.

"Shego..." His voice was awed, and a moment later he licked his lips as his brow twisted in confusion.

Every question burning in her mind about what had happened vanished in the face of her new realization. 'Everything' meant her heart, too. She blushed as she found herself strangely speechless, his eyes amazed as he took in her suddenly shy smile. She set her hand bravely against his unshaven cheek, and his eyes widened and glanced toward it.

In the second she might have worried she'd gravely miscalculated, his hand came up to cover hers, and then his eyes closed before their lips met again. The last remnants of trembling fear in her heart faded as she realized with immeasurable peace...she was his everything, too.


End file.
